“Amnesty International today released a [52-page] report on the alarming human rights situation in Cameroon, accusing the government of gross violations spanning more than ten years – including killings and torture. The catalogue of abuses revealed in the report mainly involves repression of political dissent.”
1. Introduction For more than 10 years, Amnesty International has received reports of human rights violations that were ordered, condoned or perpetrated by the Cameroonian authorities in contravention of their national and international human rights obligations. These violations include: arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions; extrajudicial executions; threats against and ill-treatment of human rights defenders and journalists; denial of the rights to freedom of expression and association; harsh prison conditions; torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; failure to protect the human rights of women and girls; and persecution of men and women on the grounds of their actual or imputed sexual orientation. This report provides examples of these violations, for which the perpetrators have enjoyed almost total impunity. Amnesty International is also concerned that, despite a global trend towards abolition of the death penalty, the Cameroonian government continues to impose death sentences.
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Amnesty International has obtained the information contained in this report from secondary sources, particularly from human rights activists and relatives or friends of victims of human rights violations. Although the organization has done its utmost to cross-check the information with a number of sources, within and outside the country, Amnesty International believes that it would be better able to check its accuracy by regular visits to Cameroon. As in other countries around the world to which the organization has access, such visits would enable Amnesty International to build a wider base of contacts (including government authorities) with whom to exchange information and discuss recommendations for the protection and promotion of human rights in the country.
This report is not an exhaustive account of human rights violations that have occurred in Cameroon, and it covers only those parts of the country where Amnesty International has trusted contacts. This is merely a snapshot of the human rights situation in Cameroon over the past five years. For more than 10 years now, Amnesty International has sought the consent of the Cameroonian government for researchers to visit the country and verify for themselves allegations of human rights violations. The organization also wished to discuss with the authorities its concerns and recommendations for the promotion and protection of human rights in Cameroon. Amnesty International is concerned that, on
2 Cameroon: Impunity underpins persistent abuse each occasion, the authorities have either failed to give or inexplicably withdrawn their consent and thus prevented the organization from finding out and assessing the true extent and gravity of human rights violations in Cameroon.
Amnesty International is publishing this report in order to inform the international community of its human rights concerns in Cameroon and the continuing failure of the government to protect ordinary people from human rights abuses. The report also seeks to appeal to the Cameroonian authorities to take all necessary political and legal measures, as well as to provide resources to promote and protect
human rights, including by bringing an end to the widespread and persistent impunity enjoyed by the security forces and government officials.
The promotion and protection of human rights is likely to be crucial in the months leading up to the 2011 general elections in Cameroon. A number of the human rights violations documented in this report have been linked to a government strategy of stifling criticism and effective opposition. One of the most serious manifestations of this strategy was a violent repression of demonstrations against price rises in February 2008, and the amendment of the Constitution1 to enable President Paul Biya
to be eligible to stand as a presidential candidate at the next election.
In addition to ordering and condoning the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians by the security forces, the government also used the criminal justice system to punish its opponents. As the economic situation deteriorates around the world, and with the likelihood of opposition groups organizing further protests against the government and the ruling party, Amnesty International is concerned that the use of lethal force and abuse of the criminal justice system against government opponents may escalate. The organization is appealing to the international community to put pressure on the government to allow all Cameroonians who do not use or advocate violence to enjoy their right to freedom of expression and association.
Click here to print or download complete 52-page report.
Photo: Theophile Nono, member of the Association for the defense of citizens’ interests (ACDIC), after being beaten by police during a demonstration against corruption and embezzlement. (c) Edouard Tamba.
The security forces of Cameroon (military, police, and gendarmes) can be a potent weapon for positive and productive change in the country provided these forces recognise the key roles that they occupy in this process.
All too often Cameroon's security forces have been used, abused, taken advantage of, and exploited by top politicians to pursue their selfish ends. Yet patriotic and professional security forces all over the world defend the collective interests of their country's people.
They are not there as merely tools for unscrupulous politicians to use and abuse as they like. A patriotic, professional, and people-oriented security force will not take unreasonable actions against its own people, even if the orders to do so came from the highest authority of the land.
If I remember correctly, the people-oriented behaviour of the security forces of Russia, during its transition from communism to democracy, is a wonderful example to learn from, for all security forces of autocratic countries, or of half-democracies, who want to change to full democracies.
According to my memory, these security forces refused to use lethal force against demonstrating Russians when they were ordered to do so. They argued that their job is to protect the people of Russia against enemies of the state and not to destroy their own people.
Their actions not only averted widespread savagery and bloodshed, but helped the transition process into a democratic Russia.
The lesson here for Cameroon's security forces is that they have a duty to protect the Cameroonian people, regardless of whatever order they receive from selfish politicians.
If ordered to kill their own people, during peaceful demonstrations or in other cases where lethal force is unreasonable, they should ignore the order and recite their duty to protect the Cameroonian people.
A people-oriented Cameroonian security force is key to making a bloodless transition into a fully democratic Cameroonian state.
Cameroon's security forces should note that all over the world, the security forces of fully democratic countries are by far better equipped, better funded, better paid, stronger, and have greater morale than those of dictatorships or half-democracies.
This is because fully democratic nations unleash the creative and competitive energies of its people, and these make the nations more successful. With such success they can afford to pass the proceeds of the success to the security forces.
Therefore it is in the best interests of the Cameroonian security forces to assist in the full democratisation of the country, by not interfering with the political processes that lead to such democratisation (even when they are ordered to do so).
The Cameroonian security forces should ensure that they are on the right side of history by remembering their duty to the people of the country.
Posted by: Dr A A Agbormbai | January 30, 2009 at 12:00 PM
This is heartbreaking. What a callous, incompetent and brutal government Cameroon has.
Posted by: Samira Edi | February 01, 2009 at 05:00 AM
The French Cameroun seccurity forces were conceived by reactionary colonial French elements in the 1950s and 60s.
These French colonial elements laid the ground work and philosophy that continues to guide these so-called Cameroun security forces. They based their tutelage on their brutal experiences in Vietnam and Algeria where the concept of a security force was to impose and defend French colonial interests and occupation while brutalising and enslaving the native populations.
Many of the Frenchmen who carried out the training were actually also former French nazis who worked with and for the fascist Vichy regime. These depraved individuals enjoyed the responsiblity of erecting the security apparatus that brutally crushed French Cameroun's independence movement spearheaded by the UPC. These were the same elements that have been accused of having committed a genocide in that campaign against the UPC that dragged on to the 1970s. Their African partners like Semengue of Cameroun are on record taking pride in identifying themselves as "nous, les petits Francais", who were being trained to fight in Algeria.
These forces were never trained to do traditional policing or cater to the security and wellbeing of the native population. And absoulutely nothing has changed in the mindset and orientation of this so-called security force. They are in place to secure colonial previleges of France through the current puppet regime installed in 1960, ensuring the continued docility and enslavement of the native population with medieval brutality.
Posted by: SJ | February 02, 2009 at 10:42 AM
The German military transformed after the second world war, because the old Nazi killing machine had to account for its actions. The french camerounese genocide machine of the 1960s has not accounted for its actions. These so called Cameroun security forces are the same ones who killed and tortured and operated concentration camps. The officers of this killing machine still live like Pashas of old India, lavishly provided for by the Camerounese government as a kind of bribe. The forces of today enjoy a direct and unbroken line from the genocide machine. Do you guys really think they understand the notion of accountability or working for the people? They are feudal overlords. If you have socialised the Camerounese military/police/gendarme/secret police establishment at the rank of Lt Colonel and above, you might understand the fascist and elitist content of their corporation. There are no Sankaras in that milieu.
Posted by: Ma Mary | February 02, 2009 at 12:09 PM
It seems that to fix Cameroon we must transform almost all aspects of its French heritage into a more modern English-like culture, reflected in the top English-speaking countries of the world. This includes of course getting the country to speak more English. I am very confident that this can be achieved.
Posted by: Dr A A Agbormbai | February 03, 2009 at 04:25 AM
no mr agbor mbai.
you cannot transforn chad or gabon to a
more english cultured state, thats where
the solution, let french cameroun live
with itself, and british southern cameroons live with itself too. i mean total independence from from french cameroun, when the british cameroons erect a decent anglosaxon cultured government, that treats its citizens well, and manage its economy well, their neighbors to the left, i mean the french cameroun citizens will be pulse to overthrow, theur evil government,
WHAT BUSINESS DOES BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS GOT IN CAMEROUN GOVT? NOTHING THE WERE ELECTED AND PUT IN PLACE WITHOUT THEM OR THEIR IN PUT
Posted by: DANGO TUMMA | February 16, 2009 at 04:55 PM