Biased Reports on Terrorists Acts in NOSO:

Atanga Nji Evokes Plot to Destabilize Cameroon

-Fires grim warning at NGOs and media outfits that aid and abet atrocious activities of terrorists in Cameroon 

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Minat Paul Atanga Nji has condemned false accusations on Cameroon Army by NGOs

Territorial Administrating Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, has accused some national and international Rights NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and media houses operating in Cameroon of being manipulated and sponsored by some dubious networks within and out of Cameroon to give a blind eye on terrorists attacks in the Anglophone regions, produce biased and fake reports on the situation of the crisis aimed to continuously tarnish the image of the Cameroonian military and the reputation of the government.

                The Minat made the declaration in a press conference Monday 9 March 2020 at the conference hall of his ministry.

                Assessing the activities of the aforementioned bodies, Atanga Nji noted that by virtue of Section 4 of Law N°90/53 of 19 December 1990 on the Freedom of Association which states inter alia that “Associations built on something else or with an objective contrary to the Constitution, as well as those that will jeopardise the security and territorial integrity, national unity and the Republican form of the State are null and void.” He said he can through an executive fiat, and in accordance with Section 13(2) of Law N°90/53 of 19 December 1990 and section 22(2) of Law N°99/014 of 22 December 1999, dissolve all NGOs that derail from their original objectives and whose activities pose a threat to public order and State security. 

                The interior minister disclosed that government has noticed with dismay that many NGOs have clearly revealed themselves as enemies of the state and laboratories of fake reports with the sole objective to tarnish the country’s image by regularly propagating information that is completely false on the management of crisis by government.

                He boasted to have uncovered a dubious network of underground funders within and out of the country that finance the NGOs including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Crisis Group, OCHA, REDHAC and others.

                He said verifiable facts have it that the sum of over FCFA 5 billion has been distributed to these NGOs to “destabilise State Institutions, regularly publish, through certain media and social media, fabricated information to discredit the efficient management of the crisis in the North West and South West Regions by the government; give the impression that Cameroon is not managing internally-displaced persons properly; demonstrate by all means that the crisis in the two regions is going from bad to worse and show through fake reports that Cameroon army is carrying out acts against the civilian population,”.

                He condemned the “irresponsible behaviour” of NGOs that are tele-guided to deliberately minimise the glaring atrocities committed by terrorists in the two Anglophone regions.

                He hailed government’s civilo-military actions and the Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan which he said has assisted over 170.000 IDPs in the North West and South West Regions, as well as those living in other regions notably West, Centre and Littoral.

                But Atanga Nji at once frowned at the comprador NGOs for throwing a blind eye to the efforts of government and the atrocities of terrorists.

                He questioned why a detailed report he handed to a senior official of Human Rights Watch, Philippe Bolopion, on atrocities of terrorists in the North West and South West Regions in which he indicated that over 300 soldiers killed by terrorists; over 280 young girls aged below 14 years raped by the terrorists in schools; teachers wounded and killed for teaching in violation of terrorists’ call for school boycott; schools, houses, hospitals health centres and other public and private structures vandalised and burnt by the terrorists; inter-urban transport buses burnt down by terrorists after depriving the passengers of their valuable belongings and attacks and killing of CPDM officials was never published by the HRW that spares no opportunity to hammer the military and the government.

                Atanga Nji described as ridiculous claims by these comprador NGOs that over 10.000 people have been killed in the North West and South West Regions within the past three years, adding that propagation of false information is an offence punishable by Cameroon’s Penal Code.

                He revealed that the resident representative of OCHA in the North West region who published a fake report against the defence and security forces was received by administrative authorities in the Region wherein he, disclosed to have been instructed by his hierarchy to fabricate the report to tarnish the image of Cameroon’s defence and security forces. This he said accounts for the official’s unceremoniously departure from the country which indicated he was guilty.

                He accused some of the NGOs of trafficking arms to the two regions for terrorists which add to the irrefutable evidence of connivance.

                While urging NGOs to ensure neutrality and transparency in their reports, Atanga Nji, charged them for taking sides with the terrorists and exercising a lot of sympathy with their atrocities.

                He cited the recent attacks in Galim that killed eight and the explosion on Women’s Day in Bamenda that injured many and killed one even though two well-known terrorists, Ayaba Cho and Tapang Ivo, living in total impunity abroad have claimed responsibility.

                He equally sent a grim warning to Equinoxe TV, STV, Radio Balafon and Le Jour newspaper to stop being vectors of malicious reports from comprador NGOs against the defence and security forces.

                He reminded the NGOs of their legal obligations and called on all to be responsible, impartial, and objective and ensure all reports given to the Coordinator of the UN System in Cameroon from 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 be presented to the ministry’s Department of Political Affairs within 60 days including details of the funds received each year, the identities of donors and how the funds are used in Cameroon.