By DOH JAMES SONKEY
The Chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Dr Chemuta Divine Banda has decried escalating human rights abuses by the Military in the ongoing Anglophone crisis.
Speaking at the 24th ordinary session last May 8, 2018 at the Yaoundé Conference Centre, Dr Chemuta Divine Banda said the session was holding amidst growing insecurity resulting from instructions or intention given by public officials and private individuals.
He wondered aloud why public officials are asking citizens to leave their homes for safer environments. “Now, tell me where safer environments are. If you leave your homes and go to the bushes, you are to be termed a terrorist and that will be justification for the army to come after you. The army is supposed to be providing security around schools and around work places but DOs, Regional Delegates, Principals of colleges and several others are still being kidnapped. Where are the many thousands of security forces deployed to these areas? We have field workers on the ground reporting to us that these fellows are interested in killing citizens, emptying people’s homes, getting money from them because Anglophone opted for what is not good today.”
Dr Chemuta stressed that “ Cameroonians showed collective patriotism in the face of Boko Haram invasion and now when we declare war against our own citizens who are manifesting, calling for dialogue, if we react with violence that leads to death, then we are confounding security,”
On what the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms is proposing as the way forward, Dr Chemuta Divine Banda reiterated that “we have always declared that the solution relies in the pursuit of peaceful dialogue which will help us understand the importance of careful planning and decentralization. Thank God, the Head of State is already implementing decentralization and our wish is that, the process be accelerated.”