VOA慢速英语--至少78名学生在喀麦隆被绑架

At Least 78 Students Kidnapped in Cameroon

Militants¹ have kidnapped at least 78 students from a Christian² school in northwestern Cameroon. The governor of North West Region said the kidnappers³ also seized the school’s leader.

Separatists are fighting an armed campaign in the area as they seek to set up an independent state called Ambazonia.

The Associated Press reported a video was posted on social media claiming to show some of the kidnapped children. Men calling themselves Amba Boys reportedly posted the video.

Hundreds of people have been killed in English-speaking areas of Cameroon in the past year, as violence increased between armed separatists and the military. Government forces have fought separatists in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions.

The separatists have ordered curfews and closed down schools to protest President Paul Biya’s French-speaking government. Tensions increased after Biya was easily reelected last month for a seventh term in office. Biya, who is 85, has ruled Cameroon for more than 35 years.

The separatists say the Cameroonian government unfairly treats the country’s English-speaking population. About 20 percent of Cameroon's 22 million people are English speaking.

The AP said the video shows the kidnappers forcing several boys to say their names and the names of their parents. The children also say that armed men kidnapped them Sunday night and that they do not know where they are being held.

Men who identified themselves as the kidnappers told the children of the conditions for their release. “We shall only release you after the struggle. You will be going to school now here,'' the men said on the video.

The AP said it could not independently confirm that the video was made by the kidnappers. But it reported that some parents said on social media that they recognized their children in the video.

There have been other kidnappings from schools in North West Region. But Sunday’s involved the largest number of people kidnapped at once, the AP reported. Armed separatists have also killed teachers who disobeyed orders to keep schools closed. They also burned down at least 100 schools and removed students and teachers from others they took over, the AP said.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

region - n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》