Armed men have massacred 22 villagers including 14 children in an anglophone region of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-children-including-school-principal-abducted-in-cameroon-175673">Cameroon</a>, according to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-rights-recommendations-to-be-taken-seriously-maduro-229391">United Nations</a>, with the opposition blaming the killings on government troops.

The bloodshed occurred on Friday in the Northwest region of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-42-people-killed-in-cameroon-landslide-258850">Cameroon</a>, James Nunan, a local official with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-flee-renewed-central-africa-violence-un-2076">UN </a>humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, told AFP on Sunday.

The central government has been battling separatists in the minority English-speaking regions for three years, a conflict that has left 3,000 people dead and forced more than 700,000 to flee their homes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boko-haram-suicide-bomber-kills-11-in-cameroon-1520">Boko Haram suicide bomber kills 11 in Cameroon</a>

Nunan said the massacre took place in the village of Ntumbo on Friday, with his team receiving numerous witness testimonies about the incident.

The army has denied any involvement.

"Up to 22 civilians were killed, including a pregnant woman and several children," Nunan said, adding that 14 children including nine under age five were among the dead.

Eleven of the children were girls, said Nunan, head of OCHA's office for the Northwest and Southwest regions, which are home to the West African country's large English-speaking minority.

The Movement for the Rebirth of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boko-haram-suicide-bomber-kills-11-in-cameroon-1520">Cameroon</a>, one of the country's two main opposition parties, issued a statement condemning the attacks.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-flee-renewed-central-africa-violence-un-2076">Thousands flee renewed central Africa violence: UN</a>

"The dictatorial regime (and) the supreme head of the security and defence forces are chiefly responsible for these crimes," it charged.

A key figure in the separatist movement, lawyer Felix Agbor Mballa, in a Facebook post also accused "state defence forces" of carrying out the killings.

An army official contacted by AFP denied the allegations, saying simply: "False". No other official response was immediately available.

Years of grievances at perceived discrimination by the francophone majority snowballed into a declaration of independence by anglophone forces in October 2017, to which the government responded with a crackdown.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-children-including-school-principal-abducted-in-cameroon-175673">Several children including school principal abducted in Cameroon</a>

The declaration of independence has not been recognised internationally, although the government has lately responded to the crisis by decentralising some of its powers.

Friday's killings followed elections on February 9 that were marred by violence in the regions blamed both on separatists and security forces.

Armed separatists prevented people from voting, threatening reprisals, while government soldiers were a heavy presence.

Separatists kidnapped more than 100 people and torched property in the run-up to the elections, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.

The government has not yet announced the results of the elections or turnout figures.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-flee-renewed-central-africa-violence-un-2076">UN </a>refugee agency said Thursday that almost 8,000 people had fled into Nigeria from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boko-haram-suicide-bomber-kills-11-in-cameroon-1520">Cameroon </a>in the previous two weeks to escape fighting between security forces and armed separatists.

The latest arrivals brought the number of refugees to almost 60,000, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-flee-renewed-central-africa-violence-un-2076">UN High Commissioner for Refugees</a> (UNHCR) said in a statement.

"Refugees reported fleeing violence and some even arrived across the border with gunshot wounds," it said.

Armed men have massacred 22 villagers including 14 children in an anglophone region of Cameroon, according to the United Nations, with the opposition blaming the killings on government troops.

Armed men have massacred 22 villagers including 14 children in an anglophone region of Cameroon, according to the United Nations, with the opposition blaming the killings on government troops. The bloodshed occurred on Friday in the Northwest region of Cameroon, James Nunan, a local official with UN humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, told AFP on Sunday. The central government has been battling separatists in the minority English-speaking regions for three years, a conflict that has left 3,000 people dead and forced more than 700,000 to flee their homes. Also read: Boko Haram suicide bomber kills 11 in Cameroon Nunan said the massacre took place in the village of Ntumbo on Friday, with his team receiving numerous witness testimonies about the incident. The army has denied any involvement. "Up to 22 civilians were killed, including a pregnant woman and several children," Nunan said, adding that 14 children including nine under age five were among the dead. Eleven of the children were girls, said Nunan, head of OCHA's office for the Northwest and Southwest regions, which are home to the West African country's large English-speaking minority. The Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon, one of the country's two main opposition parties, issued a statement condemning the attacks. Also read: Thousands flee renewed central Africa violence: UN "The dictatorial regime (and) the supreme head of the security and defence forces are chiefly responsible for these crimes," it charged. A key figure in the separatist movement, lawyer Felix Agbor Mballa, in a Facebook post also accused "state defence forces" of carrying out the killings. An army official contacted by AFP denied the allegations, saying simply: "False". No other official response was immediately available. Years of grievances at perceived discrimination by the francophone majority snowballed into a declaration of independence by anglophone forces in October 2017, to which the government responded with a crackdown. Also read: Several children including school principal abducted in Cameroon The declaration of independence has not been recognised internationally, although the government has lately responded to the crisis by decentralising some of its powers. Friday's killings followed elections on February 9 that were marred by violence in the regions blamed both on separatists and security forces. Armed separatists prevented people from voting, threatening reprisals, while government soldiers were a heavy presence. Separatists kidnapped more than 100 people and torched property in the run-up to the elections, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. The government has not yet announced the results of the elections or turnout figures. The UN refugee agency said Thursday that almost 8,000 people had fled into Nigeria from Cameroon in the previous two weeks to escape fighting between security forces and armed separatists. The latest arrivals brought the number of refugees to almost 60,000, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. "Refugees reported fleeing violence and some even arrived across the border with gunshot wounds," it said.

14 children among up to 22 dead in Cameroon massacre: United Nations

The US-bound migrant caravan that has so thoroughly irked President Donald Trump has decided to resume its trek north after resting in Mexico City for nearly a week and failing to secure buses for the journey.

In a sports arena turned into a makeshift shelter, a vote was held Thursday mainly among male travellers and the verdict was to keep going and leave at dawn on Friday.

The group of some 5,500 people, most of them Hondurans, began arriving in the Mexican capital on Sunday.

They have been travelling since October 13, mainly on foot, and covered&nbsp;more than 940 miles (1,500 km), but are still weeks away from the US border.&nbsp;

Most of them are fleeing grinding poverty and violence from powerful street gangs.

The migrants have asked Mexican authorities to provide them with transport. On Thursday, some 200 of them demonstrated outside the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to press for 150 buses.

On some stretches of the trip, some of the migrants have been riding on trucks.&nbsp;

However, one person fell off and died when the group was in Chiapas state in the south.&nbsp;

Since then, Mexican police accompanying the caravan have barred the travellers from hanging off the side of such trucks.

Two other caravans with about 2,000 people each are making their way through southern Mexico.

Trump made immigration a central issue ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, using it to fire up his largely white, conservative base.&nbsp;

The vote was seen as a referendum on his presidency so far.&nbsp;

In the end, Trump's Republicans kept their majority in the Senate but lost the House of Representatives to the Democrats.

Calling the caravan a "national emergency," Trump has threatened to deploy as many as 15,000 troops to the border with Mexico. Some 4,800 had been deployed as of Monday, the Pentagon said.

The US-bound migrant caravan that has so thoroughly irked President Donald Trump has decided to resume its trek north after resting in Mexico City for nearly a week and failing to secure buses for the journey.

The US-bound migrant caravan that has so thoroughly irked President Donald Trump has decided to resume its trek north after resting in Mexico City for nearly a week and failing to secure buses for the journey. In a sports arena turned into a makeshift shelter, a vote was held Thursday mainly among male travellers and the verdict was to keep going and leave at dawn on Friday. The group of some 5,500 people, most of them Hondurans, began arriving in the Mexican capital on Sunday. They have been travelling since October 13, mainly on foot, and covered more than 940 miles (1,500 km), but are still weeks away from the US border. Most of them are fleeing grinding poverty and violence from powerful street gangs. The migrants have asked Mexican authorities to provide them with transport. On Thursday, some 200 of them demonstrated outside the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to press for 150 buses. On some stretches of the trip, some of the migrants have been riding on trucks. However, one person fell off and died when the group was in Chiapas state in the south. Since then, Mexican police accompanying the caravan have barred the travellers from hanging off the side of such trucks. Two other caravans with about 2,000 people each are making their way through southern Mexico. Trump made immigration a central issue ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, using it to fire up his largely white, conservative base. The vote was seen as a referendum on his presidency so far. In the end, Trump's Republicans kept their majority in the Senate but lost the House of Representatives to the Democrats. Calling the caravan a "national emergency," Trump has threatened to deploy as many as 15,000 troops to the border with Mexico. Some 4,800 had been deployed as of Monday, the Pentagon said.

Central American caravan to resume trip after rest

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14 children among up to 22 dead in Cameroon massacre: United Nations

Central American caravan to resume trip after rest