Agbor Balla tables Anglophone Case before UN Council

Barrister Felix Agbor Balla

Renowned human rights activist, Barrister Felix Agbor Balla, has presented a bleak picture of the ongoing Crisis in the North West and South Regions of Cameroon to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

            While making an oral presentation at the 39 Human rights session on Thursday, September, 20, 2018, the Barrister-at-Law made key recommendations for a fruitful resolution to the conflict, which he argued has led to the displacement of more than 400,000 persons internally and 50,000 in neighbouring Nigeria.

            “Grant general amnesty to all those who have been convicted by the Military Tribunal, guarantee the safe return of the more than 50,000 Anglophone refugees and 411,000 Internally Displace Persons (IDPs), grant access to the Anglophone Regions by international agencies, human rights NGOs and journalists, grant access by lawyers and family members to all those held incommunicado and implement genuine dialogue in the country,” Agbor Balla said.

            The oral presentation preceded that made by Human Rights Watch which alleged that both Government and armed civilians have committed gross human rights violations.

            It is to be noted that Cameroon’s case is being heard at this session because of the on-going Anglophone conflict. The Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella is also in attendance and had previously met with the UN Human Rights Commissioner, former Chilean President, Michele Bachelet.

            Agbor Balla is also going to address other side events in the course of the session concerning the Anglophone Conflict. Since he was released from jail in August 2017 after spending seven months, the former UN legal officer has been travelling round the world pressurizing Governments and organisations to put pressure on the Biya Government to open what he called genuine dialogue with all.