CCDHR Condemns Government Brutality against the People of Cameroon

CCDHR condemns the brutalization and killing of unarmed civilians by the forces of law and order, including the military under the knowledge, instruction, and direction of the Government of Cameroon. The purpose of this government repression is to intimidate and kill the People of Cameroon who have gone to the streets to express decades of frustrations with the regime of Paul Biya and the ruling CPDM party.

Decades of latent anger in the Cameroonian people against the regime of Paul Biya seem to have reached a point where the people are no longer willing to live under oppression, manipulation, political seclusion, victimization, including failed economic policies that have left millions of the citizenry entrapped and entangled in chronic poverty. Days of public demonstrations and rioting characterized by deadly confrontations, looting, arson, closure of businesses, non-operation for governmental services similar to “operation ghost towns” – ‘villes mortes’ coordinated in the pre-democratization days in the early 1990s have already led to several deaths across the country.

CCDHR is calling on the Cameroon Government and the forces of law and order to respect the rights of Cameroonians and act wisely and humanely as they confront unarmed and noncombatant civilians who are excising their constitutional right to protest the actions of their government. Political participation in democracies is not limited to just standing on the line to vote during elections; it includes the right to be governed democratically: not just to choose leaders but be able to be chosen as a leader too.

The current political priorities, policies, and institutions in the country, coupled with the unresponsive and unhealthy economy that has bled profusely to the advantage of few and disadvantage of many account for the lost of confidence in the political and economic institutions in the country. As a result, the country is close to walking a fine line that may slip into a civil unrest of both unimagined and unimaginable consequences, if not now, in the nearest future. CCDHR is therefore requesting that the Government should open investigations into the killing of innocent Cameroonians and ensure that such investigations are conducted with transparency and thoroughness.

CCDHR is calling on the People of Cameroon to show restraint and act at all times as responsible citizens of their country by mounting momentous but peaceful demonstrations and strike actions. CCDHR recognizes and respects the constitutional right of every Cameroonian to strike. However, it calls on the People of Cameroon in general and the protesters in particular, to show some judiciousness in the conduct of these protests in order to minimize, and if possible, avoid casualties to human lives and damage to property, be it state or private-owned. They should also be cooperative as they protest and also ensure that children and others unable to join the cause are not victimized or punished.

The cross-country public demonstrations stem from an accumulated and unabated latent anger among the Cameroonian people from the inability and unwillingness of the government of Paul Biya to address the most pressing issues of rising costs of living, unemployment, corruption, embezzlement of public funds, electoral irregularities, and grave human rights violations in the country. The nature and gravity of the frustration, disillusionment, and bitterness that have been brewing up in the past decades remain impossible to dilute, and the current economic quagmire makes it so difficult for anyone to be hopeful in such situations. Mismanagement, lack of accountability, loss of confidence in state political and economic institutions, seclusion and manipulation of the people based on political affiliations, and a repressive law enforcement machinery are the collection of factors that account for this national unrest.

The issue has further been complicated by Paul Biya’s indication that he is open to the idea of an amendment to the Constitution of Cameroon to enable him be able to run for re-election at the official end of his term of office in 2011. Paul Biya who came to power in 1982 has been at the helm of the state for more than a quarter century and basically sees no end to his stay in power, despite the fact that his regime has been responsible for sinking the nation's wealth and viability, while remaining a constant source of terror and human rights violations. Even though the idea of constitutional amendment is very unpopular from every corner of the country, Paul Biya seems to be counting on the support of the CPDM-dominated National Assembly to review the constitution and effect the necessary amendments necessary to enable him remain in power after 2011.

CCDHR solemnly and unequivocally opposes any constitutional amendment aimed at giving the President of the country the possibility of seeking another term of office, and urges the government to be engaged in serious efforts to put the country on the path of democratization. CCDHR is also calling on the government, opposition political parties, and the civil society to work together to establish a viable political process and institutions that foster democratic reforms and national unity; make it possible for everyone to be actively engaged in the management of public affairs; hold perpetrators of economic crimes and human rights violations accountable; and make the respect for human rights paramount by respecting and fulfilling obligations imposed upon the country by regional and universal human rights treaties.

The examples of Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Chad are too conspicuous to be ignored. Cameroon must transition into a real democracy in 2011 to avert the possibility of a civil war in the country. CCDHR is therefore calling on the Cameroonian people to remain focused and react appropriately to any attempt to perpetuate authoritarianism in the country. CCDHR is equally calling on the international community to stand with the people of Cameroon and pressure the government of Cameroon for positive democratic change in the country.