Human Rights violation: US to organize roundtable on Cameroon

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

Cameroon’s human rights record remains poor and government continue to commit numerous human rights abuses year-in-year-out. Government backed security forces commit numerous unlawful killings; engaged in regular torture, beatings, and other abuses, particularly of detainees and prisoners with impunity. On the other hand, Prison conditions remain harsh and life-threatening while authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained anglophone citizens (SCNC) advocating secession, local human rights monitors and activists, other citizens and above all journalists. Furthermore, there are disturbing reports of prolonged and sometimes incommunicado pretrial detention and infringement on citizens' privacy rights.

Annual reports on Cameroon by the US Department of State have always buttress the above including the fact that “the government restricted citizens' freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and harassed journalists. The government also impeded citizens' freedom of movement. The public perceived government corruption to be a serious problem. Societal violence and discrimination against women; trafficking in persons, primarily children; discrimination against indigenous Pygmies and ethnic minorities; and discrimination against homosexuals were problems. The government restricted worker rights and the activities of independent labor organizations, and child labor, slavery, and forced labor, including forced child labor, were reported to be problems”.

The State Department report of 2007 was no different from others. “The government human rights record remained poor, and it continued to commit numerous human rights abuses” notes the report published in March this year. Like previous years, the 2007 report dueled on press harassment, poor and life threatening detention conditions, corruption, and bad governance, among others. Despite efforts by the State Department to put things under control, the government of Cameroon seems to pay less attention to the dismal human rights violations.
Whatever the case the State Department is committed to publishing its reports and looks further to publishing that of 2008, which many believe would be more disturbing, considering the February 2008 nation wide civil disobedience which left several people dead, injured or jailed unjustly

On this score the US embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon will on 16 December organize a round table discussion to reflect on Cameroon’s poor human rights situation. Participant at the discussion will include representatives of the government, the judiciary, civil society and academia. In course of the discussion participants will focus on abuses by security forces, prison conditions, political right and women’s rights among others.
Janet E. Garvey, US ambassador to Yaounde, Cameroon, is reported to have said her office is hoping to “generate discussion on human rights in Cameroon by using our 2007 human rights report as a point of departure” in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.