Cameroon: Doctors Without Borders closes projects in Kumba and Mamfe, the South-West region
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After suspending activities in March 2022 to focus on securing the release of four detained staff members, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) closes projects in Kumba and Mamfe. This decision will take effect on 1 August 2022.
The suspension and subsequent closure of the projects in Kumba and Mamfe in the South West Region is as a result of the represal from the Cameroonian governement authorities. The authorities have continued to accuse the staff of MSF of colaborating with Separatist fighters. On December 27, 2021, two MSF staff members were arrested after the ambulance in which they were transferring a patient with gunshot wounds was stopped at the Nguti checkpoint in the Southwest region. Despite the fact that MSF followed agreed-upon procedures to notify the authorities, the MSF staff members have remain in prison in Buea in a pre-trial phase. They are being investigated for complicity with secessionism simply for carrying out their medical duties.
On 15 July 2022, Doctors Without Borders announced that the organisation is suspending its projects in Mamfe and Kumba while waiting for the final decision from the Cameroonian authorities in relation to the arrest and detention of its staff members.
According to the organisation, this is a difficult decision as for almost five years, South-West Cameroon has been impacted by violence between separatist armed groups and state armed forces. MSF provided free health care to people in the region until March 29, 2022, when we made the difficult decision to focus on obtaining the safe release of their colleagues. MSF has specified that, as a neutral and impartial medical organization, it has supported wounded patients from both sides of the conflict in South-West Cameroon, including those from the state armed forces. MSF always provides free medical to those who need it most, based solely on need.
According to the organisation despite the fact that they have close the projects in the region, A small team will remain in the South-West region to support the release and resolution of the cases, as well as to continue dialogue with the authorities as MSF seeks to re-establish conditions that will enable our teams to carry out medical activities in a safe environment. MSF made this decision as are unable to indefinitely maintain their teams with no clear vision of when we may be able to restart our activities, or when our staff will be able to work without being prosecuted for providing medical assistance to those in need.
MSF also stated that they are are willing to review the decsision depending on the outcome of the trial and negotiations with the Cameroon governenment authorities “MSF will consider reviewing this decision following the trial and based on our exchanges with Cameroon’s government. We continue to seek to improve the humanitarian notification system, so that staff can hopefully return to their jobs in confidence that their lifesaving work will not put them at risk of legal prosecution. MSF remains hopeful that we will be able to find an understanding with the authorities that could enable MSF to support the local health system and deliver medical assistance to local people”
Below is the communique and you can Click HERE to read the original publication
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.
