Time for a New Direction: Call for Democracy and Nation Building in Cameroon

CCDHR is calling on the President of the Republic of Cameroon to respect human rights and democratic principles for the sake of nation building and the establishment of a sustainable democracy in Cameroon. After Decades of failed political, economic, educational, social, and development policies, Cameroonians have lost confidence that the current system can bring any meaningful change to their lives or the direction of the country. CCDHR recognizes that Cameroonians are tired of the mediocrity, corruption, tribalism, nepotism, and embezzlement that have characterized the almost three decades of President Paul Biya’s grip on power in Cameroon. CCDHR is therefore calling on the President to allow Cameroonians the possibility to reconstruct their future and that of the country.

While Cameroon's modern history from independence is dominated by repressive regimes yielding centralised power, the government since 1982, under President Biya, has erected further barriers to power in an effort to retain influence and control. Human rights of Cameroonians, which were already lacking, have suffered further as a result of this extension of influence. President Paul Biya has taken full advantage of the centralization of power to manipulate the legislative and judicial branches of Cameroon’s national government to prevent the development of an active and viable civil society that would certainly threaten or end his political ambitions. Political oppression and persecution in Cameroon has led to a social environment of increased fear of public criticism. CCDHR notes that the administration has in the past authorized the armed forces to sweep entire neighborhoods leading to illegal arrest and detention of people who are opposed to government policies or demonstrating against government excesses.

President Biya has been in power since 1982 and seems to be firm in his conviction to be President for life. Despite his ostensible commitment to human rights, freedoms, and liberties, President Biya and his governments have repeatedly violated the rights of the people of Cameroon. Human rights activists, independent journalists, members of opposition political parties, and pressure groups are regularly harassed, detained, and tortured, while elections in Cameroon have been rife with fraud and serious misconduct. The judicial branch of the government is flawed and endemic with injustice and inequity. Far from being independent, the judicial system is subject to frequent political manipulations and the whims of the President. The political situation in Cameroon is just as deplorable. Access to power in Cameroon has become increasingly limited  to political affiliations, electoral fraud, unjust laws, corruption, cronyism, and illegitimate constitutional changes.

CCDHR recognizes that as a means to increase power and influence, the regime of President Biya has unlawfully sponsored the abuse of human rights in Cameroon. Instances of violence, torture, and arbitrary detention at the hands of the security forces abound. The regime has equally permitted pro-government traditional chiefs to torture and detain regime critics and political opponents in private dungeons. The lack of accountability in the security forces continue to threaten adherence to human rights principles, while the failure to hold security forces accountable for their actions from past court cases serves as a disinclination to bring further legal actions against these forces. Although censorship was officially abolished in 1996, little has been done to promote freedom of expression as journalists are subject to increasing threats, violence, harassment, arrest, and persecution by security forces and government agents. These tactics, adopted to settle scores or intimidate journalists, have encouraged self-censorship and effectively eliminated much negative government publicity. Meanwhile, the largely ineffective, National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms seems to be self-serving the government agenda of gaining international approbation only.

President Biya recently pressured the controversially elected National Assembly to approve a constitutional amendment removing term limits for the office of President. This constitutional inequity resonates strongly only with the actions of other horrible African strongmen such as Idriss Déby of Chad, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and Teodoro Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. CCDHR again condemns the illegal constitutional amendment conducted to satisfy the selfish agenda of Mr. Biya. The constitutional maneuver lacks the spirit of the very basis of the legitimacy of power. CCDHR maintains that since the process leading to this amendment was illegitimate, everything that came with it was illegal ab initio, and any government established on the basis of this amendment will be an illegal imposition on the people of Cameroon. CCDHR is reiterating its solemn and unequivocal opposition to the recent constitutional amendment and is urging President Biya to make it clear before all Cameroonians and the international community that he will not seek re-election at the end of his current and final term which ends in 2011.

The misdeeds of President Biya and members of his governments have deprived Cameroonians of basic rights such as freedom of speech and expression and the complete absence of development initiatives and employment opportunities. The once prosperous nation of Cameroon has been transformed into a corrupt, seemingly lawless kleptocracy. As the government continues to strengthen its hold on power at the detriment of Cameroonians, there is little hope that the situation will self-improve without motivation, increased local and international scrutiny, and concerted international pressure. Without the institution of democratic reforms, Cameroon would eventually fall into the chaos of civil war, a fate that has befallen many similar African nations. CCDHR is therefore calling on the international community and the people of Cameroon to coordinate their efforts in a concerted attempt to starve off disaster and rectify the situation of human rights and democracy in Cameroon. Such efforts should include support for democratic infrastructures and persistent criticism of the record of the Government of Cameroon. Meanwhile, for democracy to take hold in Cameroon, Paul Biya must allow democracy loving Cameroonians to take the lead.