UN condemns violence against
English-speaking minority
 |
| George Ngwane |
GENEVA, December 2016 – Two United Nations
human rights experts* have called on the government of Cameroon to exercise
restraint and begin dialogue, amid rising attacks on peaceful protesters.
Special
Rapporteurs MainaKiai and Rita Izsak-Ndiaye said they were deeply concerned about
the worsening violence in the north-west and south-west regions, which has
included the use of force against English-speaking demonstrators protesting
against the growing appointment of French-speaking civil servants in their
regions. Most of the protests have been led by lawyers’ and teachers’ unions.
English speakers have long complained that
they face discrimination and marginalization, and are excluded from top civil
service positions and public services. They also claim their access to justice
is limited because the majority of legislation and judicial proceedings are in
French.
“We
call on the authorities to engage in a fruitful and inclusive dialogue with
civil
society, particularly the lawyers’ and
teachers’ unions in English-speaking regions who are asking for bilingual
public services and more inclusion of English speakers in the public sphere,”
said the experts.
Mr.
Kiai, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and
association, said he was particularly alarmed by reports that security forces
used excessive force during demonstrations on 28 November in Buea and 8
December in Bamenda.
Sources say that police used live bullets
to disperse protesters, leading to the death of at least four people. Dozens
more were injured, arbitrarily arrested and allegedly tortured.
“I
urge the Government of Cameroon to conduct a thorough investigation into the
use of force against protesters in recent months, and to exercise the utmost
restraint in policing future demonstrations,” Mr. Kiai said.
“In
democratic societies, demonstrations and protests are key to raising awareness
about human rights, and political and social concerns, including those
regarding minority issues,” he stressed. “Peaceful protests play a critical
role in amplifying the voices of people who are marginalized, and present an
alternative narrative to established political interests.”
The
Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsak-Ndiaye, who carried out an
official visit to Cameroon in 2013*, said there were significant challenges
over linguistic minorities. “When I visited Cameroon, discrimination against
Anglophones was brought to my attention as a key area of concern in Bamenda, in
particular in the areas of access to public posts and political office,” she
noted.
Ms.
Izsak-Ndiaye called on the Government to address the concerns raised by the
English speakers over the exercise of their linguistic rights, and to fully
implement the State’s policy of official language bilingualism.
“Fulfilling
the language rights of minorities is not only essential to prevent tensions
from escalating further, but is also a fundamental element of good governance,”
the Special Rapporteur emphasized.
The
experts’ call for restraint and dialogue has been endorsed by the Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst.
(*) Read the 2013 report on Cameroon:
http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/25/56/Add.1
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is
known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special
Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights
system, is the general name of the independent fact-finding and monitoring
mechanisms of the Human Rights Council that address either specific country
situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures
experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a
salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization
and serve in their individual capacity. For more information, log on
to:http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Welcomepage.aspx
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