The African Union Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has said she is concerned about the situation in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon.

Two leaders from English-speaking regions were arrested yesterday and are still being held in custody. Internet services in the regions are also severely curtailed (see earlier posts).

Ms Dlamini Zuma said in a statement she regretted the “loss of lives and destruction of property” and was concerned about the "closing of schools, arbitrary arrests and detention of individual participating in demonstrations".

The Anglophone regions have been pushing back against perceived government plans to introduce the use of French in schools and courts. 

A stay-away protest was under way when the regional leaders were arrested. 

Ms Dlamini Zuma also asked the government to continue with a dialogue initiative "in order to find a solution for the social, political and economic issues motivating the protests":

"AU supports respect for the rule of law and the right for peaceful demonstration."

She also offered the organisation's assistance to help quell the tension.

Arrests ahead of internet shutdown in Cameroon

Two leaders from Cameroon's English-speaking regions were arrested yesterday evening in south-west city of Boya ahead of an internet shutdown (see earlier post). 

Kongor Agbor Fako, the leader of the lawyers' union, and Fontem Neba, from the teachers' trade union, are still in police custody. 

The government also banned a group the two had formed called the Consortium, saying it was illegal.

It has been fighting against attempts to impose exclusive use of French language in courts and schools in the country's two English-speaking regions. The other eight semi-autonomous administrative regions are Francophone.    

The BBC's Frederic Takang in Bamenda, one of the main cities in the English-speaking parts of Cameroon, says the internet shutdown follows a two-day stayaway by trade unions and riots.  

Akamai, the US-based internet content delivery company, says there was a noted disruption of internet traffic in Cameroon at 20:45 GMT last night. 

The authorities have not commented on the internet being blocked, but have repeatedly warned that they will prosecute "those who use social media who circulate inaccurate information and hate messages".

The Consortium wants the government to call a referendum to introduce a federal system in the country which would allow more autonomy for Anglophone regions.

Talks on the subject broke down last week. 

The chairperson of the African Union Commission has tweeted that she's concerned about the situation: 

Dr Dlamini Zuma Verified account ‏@DlaminiZuma