WCHR: US must interfere to stop human rights violations in Cameroon

Since the beginning of the Anglophone conflict in late 2016, government troops have routinely violated human rights during security operations against armed separatists trying to establish an independent Anglophone state known as Ambazonia.

“New abuses in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions by both government security forces and armed separatists highlight the urgent need to protect communities at risk and to hold those responsible for abuses to account.” – Human Rights Watch

On June 8 and 9, 2021, Cameroonian security forces in the North-West area killed two civilians, raped a 53-year-old woman, and damaged and destroyed at least 33 homes and shops.

A 12-year-old kid was killed on June 6 by armed separatist gunmen in the South-West area, and a 51-year-old teacher was killed on July 1. Separatist militants in the North-West region also kidnapped four aid workers on June 25 and abducted them for the night.

According to international media, at least 6 civilians were killed in Kumbo, North-West area on June 12, when an explosive device hidden by separatist fighters detonated.

The violence in the North-West and South-West areas, perpetrated by both security forces and armed separatists, has resulted in a serious humanitarian disaster. The Anglophone areas, the bordering Littoral and West regions, and the nearby Centre region all have 712,000 war refugees. According to the United Nations, at least 2.2 million people require humanitarian aid. Nonetheless, humanitarian access is extremely limited, and aid workers have been attacked by both government forces and armed rebel factions.

Washington Center For Human Rights urges the US administration to halt sales of weapons to the Cameroonian government and take this step to utilize these sales as a leverage to encourage the Cameroon to improve its human rights records. We also urge the US administration to impose sanctions on those responsible for the human rights violations from all parties.