Separatist fighters in Cameroon’s Anglophone region have set off an improvised explosive device (IED) in the town of Limbe which will host Group F matches of the Africa Cup Nations (AFCON).
According to local police, no one was injured in the explosion which went off early Thursday in the Half Mile neighbourhood of the city.
Limbe will host Group F AFCON matches involving Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania and Gambia.
Separatist fighters who have vowed to disrupt AFCON in the city said on social media they were responsible for the blast and stressed that it was “a warning sign of what we will do during AFCON”.
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Separatist leaders had said they do not want AFCON matches to take place in a region “at war”.
The Cameroon army has deployed additional ammunition and troops to the region. The troops undertake routine day and night patrols.
Recall that Prophet Nigel Gaisie of the True Word Fire Prophetic Ministries had warned of a terrorist attack during the AFCON.
Gaisie disclosed that he foresaw terrorists detonating explosives in a stadium during the AFCON tournament.
Addressing his members, the Ghanaian-based prophet urged participating countries to be prayerful in averting disaster during the tournament in Cameroon.
According to Prophet Gaisie: “This is an international prophecy. The Lord carried my spirit into a place like Cameroon concerning the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
“I saw something like players standing on a stretcher and they were in pain as some of them were crying.
“Let the nation Cameroon pray and any other qualified team also do same because I’m seeing something like a terrorist attack and explosive attacks.
“I’m seeing that something happened at the stadium and the whole place was in disorder and people died.”
AFCON will officially begin on Sunday in the capital Yaounde and will run for four weeks.