Thousands march in support of the army

Thousands of Cameroonians marched recently in capital Douala, in support of the Cameroonian army which is confronting the Nigerian Islamist terrorists, Boko Haram.

The protestors carried placards praising the army and calling for peace. The organisers of the march said that they had invited Cameroonians to write messages of solidarity and support that would be sent to the troops on the frontline, reported Radio Vatican.

Adopting the French slogan, "Je suis Charlie" which became synonymous with resistance against the January 7 Charlie Hebdo attack, Cameroonians declared, "Je suis Fotokol."

Fotokol is a Cameroonian town in the far North of the country. The town is about 300 metres across a small river from the Nigerian village of Gamboru.

Cameroonian Soldiers were deployed to Fotokol in 2014 to provide security for residents and allow children safely attend school.

On February 4, Boko Haram attacked and killed scores of villagers in Fotokol. The Cameroonian minister of Defence put the number of those killed at 81. Residents of Fotokol however said the number was much higher.

Boko Haram has fought a five-year insurgency against the Nigerian government, launching scores of attacks that left 10,000 people dead last year alone.