With or against us: People of the North-West region of Cameroon caught between the army, armed separatists and militias-Amnesty International

Published on their official website on July 4, 2023, Amnesty International, an international human rights organization has blamed the Cameroon Military and Armed Separatist for committing gross human rights violations and abuses in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.

According to the International organization, the report documents crimes under domestic law and human rights violations committed by members of the defence and security forces, armed separatists and militias since 2020 in the Anglophone North-West region of Cameroon, and analyses the authorities’ response regarding the need for justice and for the protection of actors that denounce atrocities committed against the population.

Tracing back to 2016, Amnesty International maintained that the harsh repression by the authorities of the 2016-17 protests calling for an end to the marginalization of the Anglophone minority, followed by the self-proclaimed independence of “Ambazonia” state by separatist leaders has turned into a situation of armed violence in the North-West and South-West Anglophone regions, with the population caught between its various actors.

Read the Summary of the Report as published on their official website below:

This report documents crimes under domestic law and human rights violations committed by members of the defence and security forces, armed separatists and militias since 2020 in the Anglophone North-West region of Cameroon, and analyses the authorities’ response regarding the need for justice and for the protection of actors that denounce atrocities committed against the population.

The harsh repression by the authorities of the 2016-17 protests calling for an end to the marginalization of the Anglophone minority, followed by the self-proclaimed independence of “Ambazonia” state by separatist leaders has turned into a situation of armed violence in the North-West and South-West Anglophone regions, with the population caught between its various actors.

Despite some losses and dissent within and between their groups, armed separatists (comprised of several geographically identified groups) are still very active, including outside the Anglophone regions. They are strengthening their arsenal of weapons and continuing to attack state officials, and anyone suspected of supporting the central government, or not adhering to their cause. Cameroonian defence and security forces have also strengthened their presence in the Anglophone regions and are conducting operations against separatists and persons suspected of supporting them.

In the North-West specifically, long-standing conflicts between Mbororo Fulani herders and farmers are fuelling armed violence. The Mbororo Fulani populations have been quickly targeted by armed separatists, in part because they are perceived as supporting the authorities in power. As the situation deteriorated, militias mainly composed of Mbororo Fulani, supported or tolerated by the authorities, have committed abuses against the population.

To document this situation, Amnesty International delegates conducted two visits in Cameroon in four different regions, including the North-West, between November 2022 and March 2023. They met in person and talked by phone with more than 100 victims of crimes under domestic law and human rights violations committed in the North-West region in the context of the ongoing armed violence; twelve representatives of national and international NGOs; 10 journalists; eight commissioners of the Cameroon Human Rights Commission (CHRC). However, requests for meeting with various government ministers did not receive any answer.
This report documents several cases of serious crimes committed by armed separatists against the population in the North-West region, in particular against the Mbororo Fulani, with discriminatory and inflammatory speech targeting this population. Amnesty International has documented several cases of killings in different villages in Donga-Mantung division, the destruction of property and abductions.

It also presents cases of killings and the destruction of homes perpetrated by Mbororo Fulani militias in several villages in Menchum and Donga-Mantung divisions.

The report also documents serious human rights violations committed by the defence and security forces in Bui division, including killings and the destruction of property. Amnesty International has also collected testimonies from women victims of rape and other sexual violence by members of the defence and security forces.

The political and judicial authorities have responded to this situation with further human rights violations. Separatist political leaders and members of civil society, including journalists, were tried and sentenced by military courts for terrorism-related offences, even though military courts should not in any circumstances whatsoever have jurisdiction over civilians according to international and regional human rights norms. People accused of being armed separatists or their supporters have at times been arbitrarily arrested and detained. Meanwhile, very little information has been made available on genuine investigations into the crimes committed by armed separatists against the population, leaving many victims of these crimes waiting for justice.
The government has at times announced investigations and prosecutions of certain human rights violations committed by the armed forces, but apart from the opening of the trial more than two years ago on the Ngarbuh massacre – during which 21 persons, including 13 children, were killed by members of the army forces and militias in 2020 – no further information has been made available on how the proceedings have evolved, raising concerns about de facto impunity in these cases.

In addition, instead of protecting the rights to freedom of expression and to seek information guaranteed by international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Cameroon, the authorities are attempting to silence human rights defenders, activists, lawyers and the media who speak out against atrocities committed in the context of armed violence in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. This report documents cases of judicial proceedings, arbitrary detentions and threats orchestrated by the authorities against those who dare to denounce human rights violations committed by the defence and security forces. It also exposes the many threats made by separatists against those who denounce their crimes.

The Cameroonian authorities have also failed to cooperate effectively with international and regional human rights institutions, which have repeatedly asked to be allowed to visit the country to carry out fact-finding missions, but to no avail.

In this context, Cameroon’s international partners, including Belgium, Croatia, France, Israel, Russia, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the USA have continued to cooperate with the country militarily, including through the supply of arms and military equipment. Amnesty International underlines the risk that the military equipment provided by Cameroon’s partners could be used by army forces, militias, or armed separatists to commit crimes in the Anglophone regions.

Therefore, among other recommendations, Amnesty International calls on the Cameroonian authorities to:

• Conduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into all allegations of crimes under domestic law and human rights violations committed by all armed forces in the context of the armed violence in the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions, including into the state’s responsibility for crimes committed by the militias, and prosecute and sentence those responsible in fair trials, without recourse to the death penalty;
• Ensure military tribunals can only have jurisdiction over offences of a purely military nature committed by military personnel;
• Immediately and unconditionally release all persons arbitrarily detained;
• Ensure that arrests and detentions are conducted in compliance with international human rights standards and domestic law, and that all security forces are trained on and understand these norms;
• Ensure that detainees are promptly brought before an ordinary court that upholds international fair trial standards, are informed of the charges against them, and have knowledge of and access to legal procedures allowing them to challenge the legality of their detention;
• Guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, in accordance with the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights;

• Take all appropriate measures to protect journalists, human rights defenders and activists who receive threats for having documented or denounced crimes and human rights violations in the context of the armed violence in the Anglophone regions.

Amnesty International also recommends that international partners:

• Condemn crimes and human rights violations committed by Cameroonian security forces, militias and armed separatists, and publicly call on the Government of Cameroon to urgently initiate thorough, independent, impartial investigations into allegations of human rights violations and crimes committed in the context of the armed violence in the Anglophone regions;

• Carry out rigorous, regular risk assessments, unit vetting and post-delivery monitoring, to verify all recipients of arms and related military assistance are operating fully in line with international human rights law;

• Where there is credible evidence that units in receipt of arms or military assistance have committed or facilitated serious human rights violations of international human rights law or humanitarian law, and there are no sufficient measures in place to improve compliance with international human rights law or humanitarian law, immediately cease the provision of all forms of military assistance.

Download the Full Report below or from their official website:

Berinyuy Cajetan, Publisher

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.