The two leading figures of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, Barrister Felix Agbor Balla and Dr Fontem Aforteka'a Neba, have been interrogated and are being held in Yaounde following their arrest in Buea. Their detention marks a sharp escalation in the government's response to the protests in the North West and South West regions.
The arrests
According to people close to the two men, they were picked up in Buea and transferred to the capital, where they were questioned by security officials. Their families and colleagues say they were initially unable to find out where exactly they were being held or what charges they faced. Lawyers have since been working to gain access to them.
The arrests came shortly after the government announced a ban on the Consortium and on the Southern Cameroons National Council, accusing them of activities contrary to the constitution and of endangering national unity.
Who they are
Agbor Balla is a human rights lawyer and president of the Fako Lawyers Association. Fontem Neba is a lecturer at the University of Buea and secretary general of the Consortium. The Consortium brought together lawyers' and teachers' unions and other civil society groups to coordinate the protests that began over the use of French in common law courts and English-speaking schools.
An academic behind bars
The detention of a university lecturer has drawn the attention of organisations that defend academic freedom. They point out that Dr Neba's activism is tied to his role in civil society and the teachers' movement, and that the arrest of scholars for peaceful advocacy has a chilling effect on universities.
Reactions
Lawyers, teachers and students in the Anglophone regions have condemned the arrests and called for the immediate release of the two men. Some fear that removing the moderate leadership of the Consortium will leave the field open to more radical voices. The internet in the Anglophone regions has also been cut, making it harder for people to share information about the arrests.
The government's case
The authorities say the Consortium crossed a red line by encouraging ghost town operations and civil disobedience, and that the law must be enforced. Critics respond that the grievances raised by lawyers and teachers are real and recognised even by some officials, and that dialogue, not detention, is the way forward.
What to watch
The coming days will show what charges are brought against the two leaders and which court will hear their case. Their fate will be closely followed in Buea, Bamenda and across the diaspora, and is likely to shape the next stage of the Anglophone crisis.