Cameroon Database of Atrocities: Verified report on the excesses of military to student protest in Buea
4 min read
The atrocities committed during the Anglophone armed conflict has continued to rise. The conflict which started in 2016 has witnessed some major human rights violations including killings, torture, kidnappings, illegal arrests, and detention, etc. Most of these incidents are not reported, especially the violations in remote areas where there is no mobile network nor good roads or accessibility.
The Database team comprising of volunteer researchers at the Edinburgh International Justice Initiative, Leiden University, and the University of Toronto, with support from the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) have documented verified reports of some major human rights violations. in their recent release, they have published at least 8 (eight) incidents with the aid of videos, pictures and the satellite
The aim of this initiative is to store atrocities committed against civilians by both warring parties to the conflict and to promote human rights and peace. The recent verified report by the above-mentioned parties pertaining to the excessive use of power by the security forces during the student protest at the University of Buea is because of the call, which was launched in early 2020 by the database team for people to submit videos and photos in that regard.
Pictures, videos, and satellite images backed the recently released report relating to security forces brutality against students of the University of Buea. “The Cameroon Anglophone Crisis Database of Atrocities is the product of an impartial, independent group of researchers and civic leaders, dedicated to recording and investigating human rights abuses committed by all actors during the Anglophone Crisis.”
“Our team includes researchers at University of Toronto, Leiden University, the Edinburgh International Justice Initiative (EIJI), University of CaliforniaBerkeley’s Human Rights Center Investigations Lab, and Amnesty International’s Digital Verification Corps, with support from the Anglophone Crisis Monitoring Project, other OSINT verifiers, and the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA). The Database accepts incidents through an anonymous reporting portal, using Ushahidi software, and also through WhatsApp and email submissions. Researchers work to investigate and verify incidents where the level of evidence permits. This Database is apolitical and will always avoid any partisan interference. It is hosted at University of Toronto (Canada) for reasons of neutrality and cybersecurity.”
To view the verified report on what happened to students in the University of Buea, in the South West Region of Cameroon, please click on the following link:. https://dataverse.scholarsportal.info/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.5683/SP2/FAGE5R
The executive summary of the verified report on the excessive use of force by the military against student protest at the University of Buea. The executive summary below is copied from the pdf document published on the University of Toronto website:
A 1-minute 58-second video composed of nine distinct clips was submitted to the Database via
WhatsApp on December 16, 2019. Accompanying text stated that the clips depicted harsh actions by
Cameroon’s security forces against students at the University of Buea on November 28, 2016. The video
clips show some of the perpetrators, who appear to be members of Cameroon’s security forces.
Researchers were able to verify with a high degree of confidence the date and approximate time at
which the incidents depicted occurred, and, in some cases, to determine the precise location of the
clips.
Online searches revealed that these clips first appeared on the Internet on November 29, 2016, both
through posting on YouTube and through circulation on social media. Searches also uncovered
additional, extended versions of some of the video clips. Geolocation of satellite images confirms that
many of the events occurred in Buea, in Cameroon’s South-West Region. Identifying features include
numerous structures that appear in the video clips. In addition, a local contact was able to confirm the
location of one structure by photographing it and sending it to the Database. Chronolocation based on
social media and shadows confirms that the events likely occurred on November 28, 2016, in the early
afternoon.
Based on this analysis, supported by the earliest social media postings of the clips and corroborating
evidence found, researchers conclude that the nine video clips occurred on November 28, 2016, in Buea,
and entail the use of excessive force against student protesters by members of Cameroon’s security
forces—namely, gendarmes and police
To view the verified report on what happened to students in the University of Buea, in the South West Region of Cameroon, please click on the following link:. https://dataverse.scholarsportal.info/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.5683/SP2/FAGE5R
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
