Cameroon:Human Rights violators schooled

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

“Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction”. Thus article 1-30 of the said declaration call for the protection of these rights by member states.

But in Cameroon there still exists gross violations of human rights despite the country’s adoption and ratification of this international instruments protecting human rights. Here the rights of citizens are being violated on a daily basis especially by those who are to protect them.

Though the situation has not escaped the eyes of the country's National Commission on human rights and freedoms (NCHRF) the body seems powerless especially as its rely on government for support. Some experts in human rights have observed that Cameroon has one of the worst human right records in the world.
Like NCHRF officials, experts say human right violations are more recurrent and common in the judiciary system of the country than in other sectors of national life.
In a bid to promote the respect of the rights of citizens, here the NCHRF in collaboration with the UN development programme recently organized a training workshop for personnel working in Cameroon’s judicial system
The workshop brought together some 30 judicial officials including 20 magistrates, two military judges, four lawyers, two police officers and two gendarme officers
In course of the workshop resource persons who include an expert and consultant on human rights from the civil society, and other experts from the UN Centre for human rights and democracy (UNCHRD) and the NCHRF drill the participants on tools (national and international instruments) to be used for a better protection of human rights, namely.
The experts further sensitized the magistrates to better perceive and play their role as protectors of human rights rather than violators.
A press release from the NCHRF observed that flaws and loopholes in Cameroon’s judicial machine pave the way for judicial personnel to orchestrate gross human rights violations including illegal arrests, prolonged detention without trial, ill-treatments during remand, detention in unhygienic conditions etc. The NCHRF release further states that the flaws in the judiciary are compounded by a paltry financial, human and material resource base. And that due to these weaknesses, the populations have lost faith in the judicial system and sometimes are forced to resort to popular justice which is a violation of human rights.