Felix Agbor Anyior Nkongho: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 18 September 2018:
The Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), the leading human rights organization working to realize human rights in Cameroon, strongly condemns the decision by the government of President Paul Biya (Photo) through its Regional Delegate of Transport in the Northwest Region, to issue a travel restriction among Anglophones in the North west region.
This policy amounts to nothing less than a xenophobic and counterproductive action by the government and it should be repealed immediately.
This tragic decision by the government violates the best traditions of Cameroon’s constitution as well as in direct contravention of international humanitarian and human rights laws.
We implore President Paul Biya, and those around him, to consider the ramifications of the travel restrictions on Anglophones.
In a time when the country is faced with its worst crisis since independence many citizens and law enforcement personal losing their life’s, Cameroonians are looking to their government for many things including leadership, all-inclusive dialogue, guaranteeing their rights and ending the violence.
These kinds of action not only harm the future prospects of individuals and peace, but also diminishes our own reputation and performance as an outward-looking community.
This policy by the government does not make Anglophone and Francophones safe; rather, it makes us less safe by breeding negative sentiments around the country, stifling opportunities, escalating violence, interfering with cross-cultural relationship building, and making it more difficult to provide assistance and protection to those who need it most especially the refugees I visited in Nigeria and Internally displace persons CHRDA tries to assist on a daily basis.
In the midst of an escalating war in the country, this is a significant setback for those who are obviously in need of protection and those who are finding peaceful solution to the crisis.
The Cameroon government must live up to its international obligations and provide protection for those fleeing persecution and conflicts in the Anglophone region and not restrict travel. (Photo: Paul Biya).
We call on all Anglophones and Francophones in Cameroon and the international community to join us in speaking out against this hateful policy, which sends an official message of intolerance, undermines the Cameroonian people, and threatens the lives of thousands of people who desperately and urgently need sanctuary in our country—while doing nothing to bring peace to the Anglophone region.
About the author
Felix Agbor Anyior Nkongho is the founder and chairman of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa.
Cameroonian social and political episode is most perplexing – a central government that consents antagonism of disproportionate magnitude against a part of the country simply for cultural differences in language.
Social media virals, demonstrate the unspeakable cruelty perpetrated on the minority; and president Biya, one of the longest serving and corrupt presidents on the continent, sanctions the actions. Making ordinary citizens not to live in peace and harmony in the Cameroonian society.
The African union and the United nations must act and put an end to such barbarism; and Paul Biya should be brought to book for crimes against humanity.
Democracy in Africa is still a dream which many Africans are having. If you are denied unlimited freedom in your own country, how can we talk about democracy. It is needless to say Africa is a free continent. The division throughout Africa will likely stay for sometime. We can do or nobody can do anything until this road is clear and no one suffers.
We all want Africa to be a united continent yet, problems crop up everywhere. I do hope we all Africans have learnt and will learn to completely eliminate obstacles for this Unity.
AFRICA UNITE AND FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE TRESPASSED ON YOU. FORGIVENESS IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO AFRICAN PROBLEMS. LET US TAKE FOR EXAMPLE THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THEY BURIED THE WAR HATCHET AND BECAME BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO BUILD THEIR CONTINENT AND COUNTRY (USA)
Do not just condemn. Intervene to save innocent Cameroonians against a Cabal of miscreants and criminal officials who are milking the system at the expense of the Citizenry.