People attend a national dialogue in Yaounde, Cameroon on Oct. 1, 2019. Cameroon's English-speaking regions that have been ravaged by armed separatism since 2017 need to be given greater autonomy, participants at a national dialogue in Cameroon recommended on Friday. (Photo:Xinhua)

 Cameroon's English-speaking regions that have been ravaged by armed separatism since 2017 need to be given greater autonomy, participants at a national dialogue in Cameroon recommended on Friday.

The regions would be granted "special status" in a decentralized system of government, with "a substantial reduction of the powers of the supervisory authority" and "reinforcement of the financial autonomy of local authorities", Felix Mbayu, rapporteur of the recommendations of the national dialogue said.

Conflict-affected areas will be reconstructed and developed and victims of the war compensated. The education and judiciary systems will also be restructured to reflect the bilingual and multicultural nature of Cameroon, Mbayu said.

Leader of main opposition, Social Democratic Front (SDF), John Fru Ndi told Xinhua the proposals were a step toward restoring peace in the English-speaking regions where SDF is deeply rooted.

"We hope that the recommendations will be implemented with immediate effect to stop the killings in the regions." Ndi said.

"Not all the proposals can be implemented at this time. Some will be implemented immediately while others will take time," Cameroon's Minister of Communication and Spokesperson of the government, Emmanuel Rene Sadi, told Xinhua.

The recommendations will be forwarded to the president of the republic for appraisal and approval, Sadi said who described the proposals as "historic".

According to Cameroon's Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute who presided at the closing ceremony of the talks, the recommendations were reached from over 1,000 proposals from "Cameroonians of all walks of life".

"The informed proposals made during these five days can only be implemented in a climate of peace and security. I renew the peace offer particularly to those who have chosen to resolve to blind violence and terror. Therefore I call on them to lay down their arms." Ngute told participants at the talks.

Leaders of separatists mainly based abroad who did not attend the talks have rejected the recommendations which they described as "irrelevant and joking", vowing they will continue with the armed conflict.

The national dialogue that began on Monday was called by President Paul Biya to facilitate a "return to normal life" in the Anglophone regions.

A major highlight of the talks was the presence of 44 ex-separatist fighters who symbolically laid down their arms "to give peace a chance".

"We hope that these recommendations will be implemented in order to stop the war," one of the ex-fighters known as 'commander Shey' said.

On Thursday, President Paul Biya ordered for the release of 333 anglophone detainees as a major move to ensure the success of the national dialogue.

"It is a big signal. I presume it may contribute to the return of peace and normalcy in the Northwest and Southwest," Sadi said.

Since 2017, Anglophone separatists have been trying to form a breakaway state called "Ambazonia" in the majority French-speaking country's two minority English-speaking regions.

Hundreds have been killed, and over 530,000 displaced internally by the conflict.