Cameroon army officers sacked after Boko Haram attacks

Cameroon's President Paul Biya has sacked two senior army officers at
the forefront of the battle against militant Islamist group Boko
Haram.

State radio did not give reasons for the dismissal of Col Youssa
Gedeon and Lt-Col Justin Ngonga.

The decision probably reflects Biya's growing concern about the Boko
Haram threat, correspondents say.

On Sunday, the deputy prime minister's wife was abducted by suspected militants.

She was abducted in the northern town of Kolofata, along with her
maid, a religious leader and the local mayor.

The BBC's Muhaman Babalala in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, says the
abductions showed a clear lapse in security, and the government may
have therefore decided to sack the officers.

They were in charge of military operations in northern areas along the
porous border with Nigeria, he says.

In May, Biya promised a "total war" against Boko Haram.

Boko Haram is fighting for an Islamic state in Nigeria, but has
carried out a series of cross-border raids in Cameroon.

The group attacked Cameroon three times last week, killing at least
four soldiers, Reuters news agency reports.

Militants have kidnapped foreign nationals in northern Cameroon
before, including a French family and Chinese workers.