Major partners urging the government to curb human rights violation.
The government of Cameroon for more than four years has been under international pressure to ameliorate the human rights situation in the country. Since 2014, when the conflict between Boko Haram and the forces of law commenced, killing of many and leaving others homeless, the human right situation has been under scrutiny.The persistent killing of civilians, torching villages, and using torture and incommunicado detention by the arm forces is a cause for concern.
The cracked down on political parties, violation of peaceful protests, the arrests of opposition party leaders and their members have made the international community to put an eye on the government of Cameroon.
The country’s main partners like France, United State of America, Russia, Germany who supported the state in the fight against Boko Haram, when the anglophone crisis surfaced, seems to turn their backs on the government due to human rights violation. In September 2019, the state of Cameron in the heart of increasing violence and under continuous international pressure was obliged to call for a major « national dialogue » aimed at addressing the Anglophone crisis.
The outcome of the dialogue was the adoption of a special status for the two Anglophone regions and the release of hundred of political prisoners.
The USA in seeking solution to the Anglophone problem, in February, 2019, announced the scaling back of its security assistance to Cameroon due to substantial allegations that the military is carrying out human rights violation. In July same year, Germany followed suit by announcing the end of military cooperation with Cameroon.
The United State of America, did not only scaled its security assistance but also cut the state trade priviledges enshrined in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) over rights abuses.
The US, UK and France have publicly raised concerns on the sitaion in the Anglophone regions and the restrictions on basic rights and freedoms. The European Union Parliament has been very disturbed over the present situation in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon. The reason why a resolution expressing concerns over abuses in these areas was passed.The visit of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights in Cameroon in May 2019, was not for curtesy, but to express her worries regarding serious human rights violations allegations.
She obliged the government to carry out a transparent investigation. A fact-finding mission by her office which took place in September.
By Takang Bisong
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