Cameroon’s two major English-speaking towns have no internet connection. The disconnection is reported by EABizInfo, as a possible government punishment to the English-speaking towns. Following several months of strikes by the two towns’ local lawyers and teachers. The strikes that have only intensified with time.
The source alleges the government of Cameroon has deliberately disconnected these English-speaking towns as a punishment to the strikes. One internet café operator, Agbor Gideon, laments about the lack of internet due to political reasons:
“They are stepping on our rights. They are stepping on the rights of the people to use internet because it blocks so many things,” lamented Gideon. “There are people whose businesses are based on the internet, so it is going to add to the hardship.”
Gideon’s internet café is frequented by students and researchers from the University of Bamenda located in northwest parts of Cameroon. A region which has one of the two English-speaking regions in the country.
Cameroon has witnessed violent demonstrations and waves of arrests in the past few months, caused by lawyers and teachers strikes. These professionals are alleging that the government is sidelining English in favor of French in this bilingual country.
