By Mbeh Moses
Eben in Yaounde
The Cameroon
Civil Society Network for Human Rights known by its French acronym RECODH has
ended a two-day symposium in Yaounde to evaluate the effective presence of the
rule of law in Cameroon and suggest ways and means of strengthening the
effective implementation of the laws on freedom of assembly and public
demonstration in the country.
Addressing participants at the
forum the National Coordinator of RECODH, Hyomeni Paul guy, said freedom of
assembly and public demonstration are covered in Cameroon by national laws and
International Conventions that Cameroon has duly ratified. He said RECODH has
noticed that people find it very challenging to organize public meetings and
peaceful demonstrations for varied reasons including poor mastery of the laws,
non respect of law by some administrative authorities and the notion of
disturbing public order which is the argument that most authorities often use
to prohibit public meetings and demonstrations. But Hyomeni said the notion of
disturbing public order is a vague concept that needs to be clarified by the
authorities.
Various speakers at the
symposium harped on the point that public manifestations and meetings should be
enshrined in the laws of any country that claims to be democratic. But they
regretted that in Cameroon many planned meetings and peaceful demonstrations
are banned and outlawed and when organizers hinge on the law to go ahead with
their meetings the forces of law and order would pounce on them and thereby
causing public disorder.
The symposium had participants
from political parties, civil societies, the media, and representatives of
public administrations. They sought to look for a way forward for the
harmonization of liberty laws so that Cameroonians should benefit from them.
For her part, Makongoum Agnes, a
barrister and legal adviser to RECODH stressed that ignorance of the law is no
excuse and so organizers of public meetings should always make sure they do so
in strict respect of the laws in force. She also pointed out that government
officials should also apply the law and stop abusing peoples’ freedom because
when they do these Human Rights organizations will intervene and seek redress.
Makongoum acknowledged that public administrators are there to serve the public
but she reminded that when they try to twist the law the citizens have the
right to pursue them in the courts.
Erika Lewis, political adviser
at the U.S embassy observed that Cameroon just like the USA is governed by the
rule of law and no one is an exception to the law. She said those who deprive
people of their right to hold public meetings and demonstrations have skeletons
in their cupboard which they are afraid might be exposed.
In his closing remarks Hyomeni
Paul Guy expressed satisfaction with the quality of the presentations and
exchanges. “I have the impression that we have attained our objective,” he
said, noting that because at least 2 amongst the 100 participants came from the
regions there was reason to believe that the sensitization has attained a national
outreach. He said future forums would be held in the regions.
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