Cameroon has closed its northern border with the Central African Republic following escalating violence in the neighboring country. Cameroon says several of its citizens have been kidnapped and taken to C.A.R. by armed groups.
Hundreds of villagers in the Cameroon northern town of Mayo Rey celebrated the return home of three traders captured by armed groups from their town two weeks ago. They were taken across the border to the Central African Republic and their families asked to pay $10,000 each the hostages release.
The government of Cameroon has decided to seal its northern border with the Central African Republic to stop armed rebel groups from causing disorder maintaining that preserving lives is better than the negative economic consequences the closure will bring.
The fresh wave of violence has erupted in CAR and as such as subjected her neighbors to constant kidnappings and violence spillovers. Cameroon is among as the most affected seeing as the two countries share a 900-kilometer border and even harbors over 300,000 refugees from CAR from the recurring violence.
