Press Release on the Human Rights Situation in Cameroon Following strike actions of Lawyers, Teachers and Civil Society
The African Commission on Human andPeoples' Rights (the Commission) continues to follow closely the deterioratinghuman rights situation in Cameroon, State Party to the African Charter on Humanand Peoples' Rights (the African Charter) caused by the ongoing protests in theEnglish speaking North West and South West regions of the country.
TheCommission's Country Rapporteur for Cameroon and Special Rapporteur on Human RightsDefenders in Africa,Hon. Commissioner Reine Alapini-Gansou, is deeply concerned by the deterioratinghuman rights situation in Cameroon, in particular: killings of civilians; thedeployment of armed military personnel, special security forces (BIR) and warmachines to these two regions; the disproportionate and deathly use of forceand violence to dispel peaceful and unarmed Lawyers, Teachers, Students,civilians and protesters in Bamenda, Buea and Kumba; the raping of students inBuea; the arbitrary arrests, detention and merciless beatings orchestrated bythe police, gendarmerie, military and the BIR following strikes and proteststhat have been going on since October 2016.
The Special Rapporteur has receivedinformation that the strikes and protests are allegedly provoked by what hasbeen dubbed, "the Anglophone problem," dueto discontented Anglophone Lawyers, Teachers and Civil Society in Englishspeaking Cameroon legitimately and peacefully seeking a halt to: the gradual,but systematic destruction and obliteration of the Common Law Legal System andthe Anglosaxon System of Education; the marginalisation and neglect by theadministration of Cameroon of the two English speaking regions of Cameroon; andthe return to Federal system of governance.
The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned about thealleged deaths of more than nine (9) Cameroonians during the protests inBamenda, Buea and Kumba, and the allegations that the Government is planningmass arrest, kidnappings and assassination of leaders of Lawyers' associations,Teachers' unions, Civil Society and human rights defenders as a means to thwartthe Anglophone cause.
The Special Rapporteur condemns very strongly the alleged useof disproportionate force against civilians, the violent and deathly suppressionof peaceful demonstrators and calls on the Government of the Republic ofCameroon to:
1. Investigate the allegedkillings, rapes, inhumane treatment and human rights violations on peacefulprotesters by the riot Police, elements of the gendarmerie, the military and the(BIR) in Bamenda, Buea and Kumba;
2. Immediatelyend the alleged violence against civilians and take necessary steps to ensurethat the human rights of its citizens and all its inhabitants are respected;
3. Upholdthe right to freedom of expression, assembly, the right to peaceful protest andensure the security of its citizens, as provided by the African Charter;
4. Ceaseall arbitrary arrests and detention; and
5. Releaseall individuals unlawfully arrested during the protest.
The Special Rapporteur would like toremind the Cameroonian authorities of their obligations to guaranteefundamental rights, including the right to life, the right to freedom ofassembly, association and expression as well as the right to self-determinationas provided in Articles 6, 7, 9, 10, 11and 20 of the African Charter.
The Special Rapporteur also calls on the internationalCommunity to look into the matter and support the Government of Cameroon in thepeaceful resolution of the "Anglophone problem"; by encouraging genuine andinclusive dialogue between the Government of Cameroon and the Cameroon CommonLaw Lawyers, Teachers, and Civil society in the Anglophone regions and othersuch bodiesestablished to resolve the issue.
The Special Rapporteur will continue to monitor developmentsin the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon and calls on the AfricanUnion to contribute towards the effective realization of human and peoples'rights in the country as a whole.
Done in Banjul-The Gambia, 13December 2016
HonourableCommissioner Reine Alapini-Gansou
CountryRapporteur for Cameroon and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders inAfricahttp://www.achpr.org/press/2016/12/d340/
Part II : The Washerman's Donkey (a fable fromZanzibar)
The people ofSouthern Cameroon will not bethe washerman's donkey. The fable goes like this:
Oncethere was a monkey who lived in a big fruit tree near the sea in Zanzibar. Hemade friends with a big shark who came every day to sit under the tree andlisten to the stories the monkey told.
Oneday the shark said to the monkey, « I want you to come to my house. I wantyou to see our king and all my family. I often talk about you and they all wantto see you. »
« That'svery kind of you, » said the monkey, « but you know I can't swim. Howcan I get to your home? »
« That'sall right, » answered the shark. « You can sit on my back and I'llcarry you all the way. Just jump down now and hold on and we'll go. »
So themonkey jumped down on the shark's back and held on, and the shark swam far awayacross the sea carrying the monkey.
Whenthey were a long way from the land, the shark said, « I did not explainwhy I wanted you to come with me. I did not ask you to come with me because Iwant you to see our home. I asked you because our king is ill and the doctorsays he will only get better if he eats the heart of a monkey. So I am takingyou to him.»
Whenhe heard that, the monkey was afraid, but he did not show it. He thought for aminute or two, and then said to the shark, « You know, my dear friend, Iam very sorry but I must explain about my heart. I didn't bring my heart withme. »
« Idon't understand, » said the shark. « Do you mean that you left yourheart behind ? ». « Yes, » said the monkey, « that'swhat I mean. You see, we monkeys are not like other people. We don't alwayscarry our hearts about with us. I left mine up in the tree. It isn't here, but ifyou will take me back I'll get. »
« Ican't understand, » said the shark. «But if you left your heart up in thetree I will take you back. » so he turned round and swam back to theisland.
Whenthey got back the monkey called out, « There, I can see my heart up there.The shark sat down and waited. He waited a very long time, but the monkey didnot come down again. Then at last the shark called out, « Monkey, aren'tyou coming down again? Can't you find your heart? »
« Yes,my heart is here all right, » called back the monkey, « but I'm notcoming down again. Do you think I am like the washerman's donkey? »
Thewasherman's donkey? I've never heard about her, » said the shark.« What do you mean?
« I'llexplain, » said the donkey, and he sat down and told the shark the story.
The washerman was not kind to hisdonkey. He beat her a lot and she had very little food to eat. So one day sheran away from her master and went to live in the forest. She found plenty of goodfood there and she soon got quite fat.
There was an old lion living in thesame forest. He was nearly always ill and he was not at all strong. The harenursed him and took care of him. One day this lion said to his nurse, "I wantsome meat to eat. I haven't had any meat to eat for a very long time. Do youthink you can find me some meat?"
"That will be easy," said the hare."There is a great fat donkey living not far from here. I'll go and tell her tocome and see you. When she comes you can eat her."
The hare went along to the donkeyand said, "My friend, the lion, my master, wants you to see him".
"Why does the lion want to see me?"asked the donkey. "Does he want to eat me?"
"Oh, no!" said the hare, "nothinglike that. He has heard how beautiful you are, but he has not seen you yet andhe loves to look at beautiful people. He is very ill and he thinks it will helphim to look at a beautiful person like you."
The donkey was vey pleased to hearall this, so she went along with the hare to see the lion. When they came nearhis house the old lion tried to catch her. But he was weak because he was ill,and the donkey was very strong because she was so well and fat. She kicked veryhard. The lion tried to hold her, but she got away and ran back to her part ofthe forest. She was very badly scratched and she didn't like the lion at all.
Some time afterwards the hare saidto the lion, "I'll go and see that donkey again." So saying he went once againand asked the donkey to come and visit the lion. "Not I," said the donkey, "Idon't want to see him again. I don't like your lion. You said he loved me. Why,he scratched me all over very hard. I thought he was going to kill me. I amstill feeling ill, and you can still see the scratches.
"I am very sorry," said the hare."But, you know, the lion didn't mean to scratch you. He was just loving you.That is how he loves people. He wants to see you again ever so badly. He isalways talking about your beautiful face".
"Well," said the donkey, "I hopewhat you say is true. If he does love me so much and wants to see me so badly,I'll come to see him again, but I do hope he won't scratch me."
So the donkey went to see the liona second time. This time the lion was ready and waiting for her. As soon as hesaw her he jumped on her and ate her at once.
"And," said the monkey, "that is theend of the story of the washerman's donkey."
"Thank you, "said the shark. "Icall that a most interesting story. And now, monkey, you have found your heartand you have finished the story. Shall we set off again fro my home?"
"Not I," said the monkey. "I'm notcoming. I have told you that I am not like the washerman's donkey. You won'tcatch me twice.
Yes, Southern Cameroons will not be the washerman's donkey. So do not tellus about a Federation with the Republic of Cameroon again. Enough is enough. ENOUGHIS ENOUGH !
A.F Ndangam
National Chairman,
Southern Cameroons People Organisation
(SCAPO)
On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 3:15 PM, Ofege Ntemfac <ntemfacnchwete@gmail.com> wrote:ABOUTDIALOGUE ON FEDERATION WITH REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
« All theseare unacceptable and all those doing that uninformed and misdirectednegotiations should stop. The people of Southern Cameroons are not for it. »
By the Rt. Hon. AugustineFeh Ndangam
NationalChairman – Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation
In 1961, West Cameroonleaders met with East Cameroon politicalleaders in Foumban to draw the constitution of the Federal Republic ofCameroon. That conference was a fatal error for the people of SouthernCameroons. How? / Why? As we now know in retrospect, Foumban turned out to bethe setting for the annexation of Southern Cameroons and, following in the wakeof annexation, the dismantling of Southern Cameroons' statehood and carvingthat state into two provinces of the Republic of Cameroon. Could these have been avoided? If so how?
Before the UN plebiscite of February1961, it was OK for Prime Minister Foncha to hold bi-lateral talks/negotiationswith Ahidjo in order to ascertain precisely where he was leading SouthernCameroons to. But once the General Assembly of the UN adopted Resolution 1608XV prescribing an International Post-plebiscite conference (paragraph 5 of thatresolution) the bilateral talks between Southern Cameroons and Republic ofCameroon should have stopped and the UN directives in paragraph 5 of Resolution1608 XV implemented. The bi-lateral talks could not be a substitute for theInternational Post Plebiscite Conference which both the UN and the UK were toattend. Southern Cameroons' decolonization was a matter for the UN and the UK –not an internal matter of the Republic of Cameroon. Republic of Cameroon'soccupation of the Southern Cameroons cannot be justified under internationallaw.
Presently there is a flurry ofsecret meetings with Ministers from Yaounde with some Southern Cameroonians. Ifa meeting is one by the Minister of Justice talking professional issues withLawyers, we have no comments. If the meeting is one by teachers with theMinisters of Education on professional matters, we have no comments. However, if the meeting is one in which anySouthern Cameroonians (lawyers and teachers included) selected (and invited bya Minister) are sitting to talk about Federation, we wish to strike a note ofwarning. In the first place, suchSouthern Cameroonians should read the story of The Washerman's Donkey whichfollows in Part II of this article and ask themselves what became of thedefunct Federal Republic of Cameroon (!961-1972). Who killed it? Secondly, theymust learn from the bitter experience of Foumban. The leadership of LaRepublique du Cameroun tricked our leaders and summoned them (even chaired) thebi-lateral talks in Foumban without the presence of the U.K and the UN. Ahidjosucceeded in Foumban to revise the constitutions of his country and to annexthe Southern Cameroons. And striking to note, this was the same Ahidjo who earlieras Prime Minister of La Republic du Cameroun had told the United Nations: "Wedo not wish to bring the weight of our population to bear on our Britishbrothers (by which he meant Southern Cameroonians) We are not annexationists"
"In other words,if our brothers of the British zone wish to unite with an independent Camerounwe are ready to discuss the matter with them but we will discuss it on afooting of equality"
Today the twoStates Federation (both equal in status) is defunct, and Southern Camerooniansdo not want to hear that someone from Southern Cameroons is negotiating Federationon their behalf.
Please, takenote.
We know those ofour leaders who made the mistake in 1961 to sideline the UN prescribedinternational conference and went to Foumban.
The peopleof Southern Cameroons are not for it.
And we know that they werenot selected by Ahidjo to come and hold talks with him. There are a couple of discrediting facts with thosenegotiating Federation now: First, they are named by the Minister / Ministrycoming from La Republique to carry out the negotiations, secondly the meetingsare held behind closed doors / in secret. and no press statement /briefing aredone. They are negotiating with a government that showed bad faith in 1961 byvoting against the independence of the Southern Cameroons and have not apologizedto the people of Southern Cameroons foropposing their independence and also for voting to refuse Southern Cameroonsjoining them and finally for suppressing Southern Cameroons' statehood andmaking them two of their provinces. All these are unacceptable and all thosedoing that uninformed and misdirected negotiations should stop. The peopleof Southern Cameroons are not for it.
In 2009 the African Commissionhanded down its decision on communication 266/2003 and offered to facilitatedialogue between the State of Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun.If we sideline this dialogue proposed by a structure of the AU and take updialogue initiated by La Republique du Cameroun with participants selected byLa Republique we shall have repeated the 1961 blunders again. The AfricanCommission's proposed dialogue was accepted by both parties. The AfricanCommission set 180 days for the dialogue but before this deadline came, LaRepublique du Cameroun asked for time extension. If because of the present civildisobedience in Cameroon they now see the need to negotiate, it must be withthe facilitation of a third party: The ACHPR, the AU itself, or the UN, not anotherbi-lateral talk behind closed doors with groups selected from Yaounde. No! Please, No!
Since the series of talks withvarious Ministers started the people of Southern Cameroon have no idea who havebeen the ones representing them, no press releases have been put out about whatwas negotiated and with what results.
We know the Southern Cameroonianswho attended the Foumban Conference in 1961. Southern Cameroonians need to knowthose who have been negotiating on their behalf with the Cameroon Ministers sofar. Each group should put out Press Release to inform our people on who claimsto represent them, what was discussed and with what outcome.
A.F Ndangam
National Chairman,
Southern CameroonsPeople Organisation
(SCAPO)
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The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
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The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
--
The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
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