UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the reported kidnapping of students and staff from a secondary school in Bamenda in the Anglophone Northwest Region of Cameroon, said his spokesman, Xinhua reports.
Guterres called for their immediate release and return to their homes and families, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.
There can be no justification for these crimes against civilians, particularly minors, said the statement.
Guterres reiterated the need for a peaceful solution to the crisis in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon through an inclusive dialogue process, said the statement, referring to discontent of English-speaking people in the two regions over dominance by the Francophone Cameroonian government.
The United Nations stands ready to assist in a settlement, said the statement.