By Kelly Van Eeten and Francisca De Castro - Junior Research Associates PILPG-NL
Monthly News Update: Southern Cameroons – November 2019
This news update deals with the developments which have taken place in the Cameroons in November 2019. This includes both national and international events relating to the ongoing conflict.
Humanitarian Crisis
Cameroon | Ongoing Violence leads to Humanitarian Emergency
The ongoing violence in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon has grown into a humanitarian emergency which has already affected nearly1.9 million people. This is a 15-fold increase compared to the figures in 2017. Insecurity and poor road access have left about 65 percent of both these regions inaccessible to aid workers. As a result, the aid workers face a higher risk of being taken hostage.
Moreover, “thousands of children in Cameroon are living in fear. They need peace so that they can resume their education and reclaim their future,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “When children are out of school, they face a higher risk of recruitment by armed groups, child marriage, early pregnancy and other forms of exploitation and abuse.” Reports suggest that over 855,000 children are out of school.
Since the start of the academic year, about 90 percent of the public primary schools and 77 percent of public secondary schools have remained closed or non-operational in the above discussed regions. UNICEF gives the fear of violence as a reason, since parents are afraid to send their children to school and the staff of the schools is afraid to work. In some areas community-run learning activities have been introduced.
Attacks on health care centres
Southern Cameroons | Attacks on Health Centres Leads to Severe Damages but No Deaths
Health care centres have again been the centre of attacks. The health centre in Buea was burnt down on October 30 and 31. Security sources now say that separatist groups initiated the attack against the centre. No casualties were recorded, but there is significant material damage. However, this is not the first time health centres have been attacked. In February, armed men burnt down a hospital and 7 hospital vehicles, which resulted in 4 casualties.
US Cuts Cameroon Trade Privileges Over Rights Abuses
United States | US Stops Funding Cameroon
In early November, the Trump administration announced that it intends to cut trade benefits for Cameroon from January 1, 2020 onwards, citing human rights violations in the country. With this, Cameroon lost its privileged access to the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Furthermore, the United States does not share the Cameroonian government’s enthusiasm on the “success” of the National Dialogue encounter. Tibor Nagy, the Assistant Secretary for the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs affirmed the need for a true dialogue and a transfer of powers to the region. He warned against moderate Cameroonians leaning towards secession, and emphasized the importance of “something of sufficient interest for those who remain in the moderate point of view”.
February elections
Cameroon | Elections Will Take Place in 2020
Cameroon is scheduled to have parliamentary and municipal elections on February 9, 2020.The 2018 presidential election triggered a major political crisis and some fear that these elections will create even more chaos. Kamto, the opposition leader in Cameroon, announced that his party (MRC) would boycott the February’s legislative and local elections. He called on other opposition parties, as well as civil society organizations and religious groups to join the boycott.