Dibussi Tande: Scribbles from the Den

Ambassador Jackson: Grassroots Mobilization Key to Respect of Human Rights in Cameroon

Excerpt of a speech by US ambassador to Cameroon, Robert P. Jackson, to a gathering of Cameroonian civil society leaders.

"Perhaps it’s a somewhat banal notion, but in the end human rights is not much more than a fancy term for the kind of relationships we’d like to have with our neighbors:  When we do wrong, we must make amends and treat each other fairly; when we disagree, we each speak our mind; when we’re different, we must live and let live."

[...]
In the end, however, my role, and the role of the U.S. Embassy, in the promotion and maintenance of human rights is limited.  For there is no amount of advocacy or support the United States can offer that is more potent or more fundamental for the respect of human rights than grassroots mobilization.  We can talk until we’re blue in the face (trust me, we can, we’re diplomats), but we cannot make changes in this society from the top down.  We can suggest and we can cajole, but only you are capable of truly persuading those around you to be the change they want to see.  Contrary to what conspiracy theorists might tell you, change doesn’t start in my Embassy, it starts in your neighborhoods, your villages, your towns, and your regions.

In His Own Words: Enoh Meyomesse on Life at Kondengui Central Prison

"My days follow one after the other in a deathly monotony, like the hours on a clock." [Enoh Meyomesse about life behind bars]

The trial of Cameroonian writer Enoh Meyomesse begins at the Yaounde military Court today, August 31, 2012.

Enoh Meyomesse (in blue shirt) with his alleged accomplices

Meyomesse, a founding member of the Cameroon Writers Association, is charged with aggravated theft and the illegal sale of gold. In an article which appeared in the Hufftington Post (Gold, Guns and Books: the Meyomesse Affair), Deji Olukotun sheds light on the origins of what he describes as a “bizarre case”:

Wikileaks: Cameroonian President Biya Gives Ambassador Political/Economic Overview

In this most revealing wikileaks document on Cameroon thus far, President Paul Biya makes a number of interesting revelations during a February 2010 discussion with (former) U.S. ambassador Janet Garvey – a rare window into the mind of Cameroon’s taciturn and inscrutable ruler. For example, during the discussion the President "confirmed that more corruption-related arrests were coming under his anti-corruption initiative Operation  Epervier" (Sparrowhawk), although (contrary to rumor) he thought this would not likely include former Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni because the evidence against him was thin and he didn´t steal much money".  The president also "professed frustration with China contrasts with the rising profile of Chinese investments in Cameroon..." Read on.

 

¶1. (C) Summary: On February 4 [2010], Ambassador met with President Paul Biya for a two-hour tour d´horizon of domestic and international issues. Biya was concerned about the threat of Islamic extremism. He praised growing Central African regional cooperation and improved relations with Nigeria. He was positive about the recent Copenhagen summit although frustrated with China´s role.

Human Rights Report Condemns February 2008 Repression in Cameroon

Yaoundé: Rights campaigners in Cameroon accused authorities of covering up for the security forces during a string of killings in the country's political unrest in February 2008, said a report obtained on Monday by Agence France Presse (AFP).
 

Members of the security forces opened fire indiscriminately on civilians, using automatic rifles and even light-machine guns mounted on pick-up trucks, said the report by National Observatory of Human Rights (ONDH).

But the authorities put pressure on hospital directors to cover up crimes committed by the security forces by hiding evidence, it alleged.

Cameroon Ranks Very Poorly on 2008 Global Integrity Report

Cameroon faces serious problems with its governance and anti-corruption framework according to the Global Integrity Report released today.

Cameroon received a “very weak” (55 pts) overall ranking on the 2008 Integrity Indicator Scorecard.  It scored “very weak” in four categories; Elections (58 pts), Government Accountability (44), Administration and Civil Service (48) and Oversight and Regulation (49). It scored “weak” in two categories; Civil Society, Public Information and Media (61 pts) and Anti-corruption and Rule of law (69).

Amnesty International Special Report: Cameroon Impunity Underpins Persistent Abuse

“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.

Celestin Monga: An Open letter to Lapiro de Mbanga

Excerpts of an open letter from Celestin Monga to Lapiro de Mbanga written shortly after Lapiro's arrest in April (An English translation from the CAMNET forum).

My dear complice Ndinga Man,
I won’t ask you how you are doing. I am sure that, from the depths of your prison cell, you are in top intellectual form and that you are already assembling some caustic lyrics for your next album. I can only imagine the pity which you must have towards the poorly paid policemen who are charged with humiliating you day and night… Some irony: you have never stopped fighting for these same people throughout your entire adult life. And there: these sicklings are now inflicting all kinds of humiliations which give them the illusion of wielding some modicum of power. For once in their lives, they are, in their own way, "somebody".

Lapiro de Mbanga Sentenced to Three Years in Jail

From the Freemuse website

Several news sites reported that the popular singer Lapiro de Mbanga was sentenced to three years in jail for taking part in anti-government riots in Cameroon in February 2008.

The African Press Agency writes that the musician was found guilty for his “complicity in the looting, destruction of property, arson, obstructing streets, degrading the public or classified property and forming illegal gatherings”. The verdict was three years in mandatory prison. Lapiro was also ordered to pay 280 million CFA francs, about 630,000 US dollars, in damages to the SPM (Société des Plantations de Mbanga) and the ministry of finances.

CAMEROON: Rapid Intervention Military Unit Strays from its Mission

DOUALA, 29 August 2008 (IRIN) - In 2001 the Cameroonian government created a special rapid intervention battalion (BIR) to quell hostage-taking and looting by criminal gangs operating on its eastern and northern borders, but this force is now straying from its original mission, causing anger among human rights groups.

The BIR was originally set up to fight criminal gangs known as ‘coupeurs de routes’ who operate on the borders with the Central African Republic in the east and Chad and Nigeria in the north taking hostages for ransom, stealing cattle, as well as attacking and looting passenger vehicles.

Amnesty International - State of Human Rights in Cameroon

Culled from Amnesty International Report 2008 - State of The World's Human Rights

The rights of many people in Africa continued to be violated in 2007. Economic and social rights remained illusory for millions of people. The internal armed conflicts that continued to ravage several states were accompanied by gross human rights abuses including unlawful killings and torture, including rape. In some countries all forms of dissent were suppressed, and in many freedom of expression was restricted and human rights defenders suffered intimidation and harassment. Women endured widespread discrimination and systematic human rights abuse. Throughout the continent, those responsible for human rights violations escaped being held to account...

Cameroon

Eleven men accused of “practising homosexuality” were detained. Several dozen members of the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) were awaiting trial for secessionist activities. One journalist was detained and another charged and convicted for their professional activities. At least 17 prisoners were killed during a mutiny. Over 26,000 people from the Central African Republic (CAR) were living in refugee camps in eastern Cameroon. Students continued to be targeted by security officers.