Bamenda, the capital of the North West region of Cameroon is under siege followind a stand-off between security forces and protesters.

Cameroon is a bilingual country with the constitution giving equal status to both English and French as the official languages of the country. The past few months have seen a series of protests from the minority English-speaking regions. Protesters accuse the government of marginalization and attempts to undermine their language and culture.

They are demanding a return to a two-state federal system which was the situation before 1961, or complete independence from the majority French-speaking Eastern region. The government however asserts that the problems the protesters are facing is not peculiar to one region.

Last Monday, the leader of the main opposition held a huge rally in the South West provincial capital of Buea to pledge his solidarity with protesters. The ruling party's attempt to hold a counter rally in the main opposition strong hold in Bamenda sparked anger from the inhabitants. Led by the Prime Minister Philimon Yand and other ruling party big wigs, the march - scheduled to begin at the Commercial Avenue in Bamenda - was met by an angry mob.

Security forces responded with tear gas, water cannons and live bullets, leaving several people dead ond others injured. The march was finally cancelled for security reasons as angry youths used a giant catapult to fire stones at soldiers.

Minister in the Presidency Atanga Nji, who accompanied the prime minister to Bamenda, is reportedly being treated at the regional hospital after a can of tear gas was hauled back at him from the angry mob. The prime minister was stuck at the State-owned Ayaba Hotel after it was surrounded by the mob.

There are reports of troops being sent in from other parts of the country, as the city remains calm but tense.