Cameroon: UK Government calls for an inclusive dialogue that will address the root causes of the Anglophone crisis.
3 min read
The national and international stakeholders including foreign governments have continued to call on the government of Cameroon and Separatist leaders to engage in an inclusive dialogue. The United Kingdom in a letter on 23 April 2021, said that they are concern about the ongoing armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions “The UK Government is deeply concerned about the situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon. It is a crisis that continues to have tragic impacts on civilians.”
James Duddridge, the Minister for Africa explained in the letter that he visited Cameroon in March 2021 and meet with President Paul Biya, the Prime minister, Minister of foreign affairs and other stakeholders. During the visit, he set up UK’s commitment to support a peaceful resolution to the crisis. “We regularly raise our concerns about the crisis with the Government of Cameroon at the highest levels. In a visit to Cameroon in March 2021, I met President Biya, Prime Minister Ngute and Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, where I set out the UK’s commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the crisis. During my visit, I also met the President of the South-West Regional Assembly, civil society organisations, political opposition leaders and religious leaders to learn more about the situation on the ground and hear directly the experiences of the communities impacted by the crisis.”
He reassures that the UK government stand for an inclusive dialogue and that the warring parties should engage in Swiss let efforts to facilitate talks “I would like to reassure you and your constituent that the UK Government continues to call for inclusive dialogue that addresses the root causes of the crisis. We have shared our experience of conflict resolution, and we call on all parties to remain engaged in Swiss-led efforts to facilitate talks”.
In the letter, the minister for Africa also said that they have been supporting at the humanitarian level and they will continue to support “In September 2020, I announced £4.5 million of additional humanitarian funding for Cameroon, to bring the total for 2020 to £13.5 million. This has provided tens of thousands of vulnerable people with food packs, sanitation provisions and medical supplies, as well as training for health workers. As part of my visit, I travelled to the South-West region and met international project partners delivering this vital aid, who described to me the challenges of providing humanitarian support. The UK continues to press the importance of unimpeded humanitarian access.”
Reports of human rights violations and abuses by security forces and armed separatists are disturbing. As the UK’s International Ambassador for Human Rights set out at the UN Human Rights Council on 26 February 2021, the violence must end and urgent, impartial investigations must hold the perpetrators to account. We continue to urge the Government of Cameroon to engage fully with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights for all.
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.
