Cameroon's Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji said Tuesday that the repatriation of some 700 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria is underway.
The first batch of the refugees arrived in Cameroon on Tuesday afternoon. Among the 87 refugees were ex-separatists including key leaders popularly known as General Nambere and General Nkongho, who had surrendered their arms.
"We have come home, and we wish to say please kindly give us another chance," Nkongho told reporters upon arrival at the Nsimalen International Airport in the capital Yaounde.
"I think it's time for other Cameroonians to say no to fighting," Nambere said.
According to the United Nations, as of July 2019, nearly 40,000 Cameroonians are seeking refuge in Nigeria following clashes between separatists and government forces in the two English-speaking regions of the country.