Cameroon: The Ministry of Defense contradicts Human Rights Watch report, says the military did not raped women in Ebam, South West Region
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The Cameroon Ministry of Defense in a signed communique, has accepted that the military raided Ebam village, in the South West region on March 1, 2020 with the intention to put out of action armed separatists in the area. “Cameroon’s Ministry of Defense hereby communicates: in a curious report posted online on Friday, 26 February 2021, Human Rights Watch (HRW) distils supposedly documented allegations of destruction, rape, and murder committed on 1st March 2020 by elements of Defense and Security Forces in the Village of EBAM, EYUMOMOCK Subdivision, MANYU division, South West Region”
According to the ministry of Defense, the separatists fighters were using EBAM village to plan for attacks in the area and its surroundings. “It should be noted that during the night of Saturday 29th February to Sunday 1st March 2020, a cordon and search operation led by elements of the 22nd Motorized Infantry Battalion gradually took up potion around the EBAM village; the action itself was launched in the early morning of Sunday 1st March 2020. The aim of the operation was to put out of action-armed terrorists who were using the locality as a rear base to plan attacks in the EYUMOJOCK sub-division and its surroundings.”
While contradicting the HRW report, the Ministry of Defense says the number of soldiers dispatched to the area were only around 20 “The detachment made up of around 20 servicemen and not 50 soldiers as HRW claims, was supervised and commanded by an officer.”
The communique reads that one armed separatists was killed, 35 persons arrested but later freed , some motorcycles confiscated. This confirms the Human Rights Watch report, which states that one person was killed, and 35 persons arrested “At the end of this operation which lasted for few hours, 01 locally manufactured weapon and other ammunition were recovered, 16 motorcycles confiscated, 01 terrorist neutralized, 35 Individuals arrested and place d at the disposal of the Mamfe Gendarmerie Company for questioning”
The Ministry at the of the communique distance itself from the alleged raped by some elements of the defense and security forces and says the HRW is siding with armed groups. “By putting the state of Cameroon and the separatist on an equal footing of legitimacy on the one hand and by clearly and clumsily siding with armed groups on the other hand, HRW stood true to its astonishing logic.” The communique states.
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.
