Longstanding labor unrest over low wages, union suppression, and unsafe work conditions at Cameroon’s largest sugar company, owned by a French agro-giant, erupted into a strike on January 26 over delayed payments.

Protests have been on in Cameroon since October when Paul Biya became president for the seventh time in an election the opposition called rigged. The latest crackdown saw the arrest of opposition leader Maurice Kamto, and firing on protesters