President Paul Biya of Cameroon has condemned an attack on school children in the Northwest, one of the country’s two English-speaking regions, Communication Minister and Government Spokesman, Issa Tchiroma, said on Thursday.

“President Biya has expressed indignation at the terrorist act that constitutes serious violation of the right to education,” Tchiroma said in a statement.

“The president has instructed the government to take adequate measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the school year throughout the country,” he added.

In the Northwest region, gunmen attacked the Presbyterian Girls Secondary School on Sept. 4, kidnapping six students and the principal.

The principal was severely injured, witnesses said.

Tchiroma said two of the students and the principal were later released, without giving more details.

Attacks on schools and learners have increased in the troubled regions since the start of the new academic year on Sept. 3.

Fighting between armed separatist forces and Cameroon security forces is escalating in the two regions since November 2017, following a “declaration of independence” of the regions by the separatist forces.

The armed separatist forces want the Anglophone regions to secede from the majority French-speaking nation and form a new nation called “Ambazonia”. (Xinhua/NAN)