New Anti-Terrorism Law batters Cameroonians seeking secession

Cameroon's government under President Paul Biya frustrates the operations of a separatist movement fighting for the rights of a minority English-language region, using as its weapon a sweeping new anti-terrorism law introduced at the end of last year.

The separatist Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), which is demanding an independent Southern Cameroons made up of Cameroon's Northwest and Southwest Regions - has been targeted under the new law, which forbids public meetings, street protests or any action that the government deems to be disturb peace.

English-speaking Cameroonians is made up of over 22 percent of the country's population of 20 million.

Long desired by Western powers for its beauty and natural resources, Cameroon was first occupied by the Germans in 1884. After the First World War, the French and British carved it up between them as League of Nations mandates - four-fifths went to France leaving the rest to the United Kingdom.