The Cameroonian government has given an official burial ceremony to the seven schoolchildren who were killed in an attack at a school in Kumba in the country’s conflict-ridden South-West region.

The children were killed in their classroom on October 24 at the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy when a group of unidentified armed men stormed the school and opened fire. Thirteen other children were wounded.

The Cameroonian government and armed separatist groups have accused one another of the attack, but no one has yet officially claimed responsibility for the horrific incident, while rights groups have said crimes and abuses have been committed by both sides.

The burial ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute and other representatives.

The central African country has been marred by protests and violence since 2017, with residents in English-speaking regions saying they have been marginalised for decades by the central government and the French-speaking majority.

They are calling for independence or a federal state.