Monthly News Updates: Southern Cameroons – December 2020
By: Kristoffer Burck, Junior Research Associate, PILPG-NL
THIS POST COLLECTS UPDATES FROM THE PAST MONTH CONCERNING RELEVANT DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTHERN CAMEROONS. THE INFORMATION IS DRAWN FROM LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ONLINE SOURCES.
VIOLENCE IN ANGLOPHONE REGIONS
Abductions | Separatists Abduct Four Local Chiefs
Two different armed separatist groups kidnapped four local chiefs on December 12 and December 13, 2020. One local ruler was abducted on the 12th December in the anglophone North West region and the three others were kidnapped on the 13th December in the anglophone South West region. [December 13th, 2020]
Abductions | Separatists Release Three Chiefs, One Dies in Captivity
On December 16, 2020, armed separatists in the North West region released one local chief from captivity, who was abducted on December 13. Two other local chiefs from the South West region, who were kidnapped on December 13, were also released the next day. The fourth kidnapped local chief died in the custody of armed separatists. The kidnappers claim that he died due to a preexisting medical condition. [December 16th, 2020]
Clashes with Soldiers | Repeated Killings of Civilians by Military Forces
Throughout December, several sources reported arbitrary killings of civilians by soldiers in the anglophone North West and South West regions. These instances included deadly beatings of an individual on December 13th, the arrest and killing of two civilian brothers on the same day, the abduction of three and ensuing shooting of one individual on December 20th, and the killing of five villagers during a military operation against separatists on December 23rd. While the military justified some of their acts alleging that the victims had affiliations with armed separatist groups, local sources maintained that the victims had no such connections in all cases. [December 23rd, 2020]
Clashes with Soldiers | Soldiers Accused of Burning Several Civilian Houses
Besides the above-mentioned killing of five civilians, Cameroonian soldiers are accused of burning down 20 - 25 civilian houses during a military operation. The operation failed to reach its objective of capturing a separatist commander and instead resulted in the arrest of several civilians and the displacement of hundreds of villagers from their homes. [December 23rd, 2020]
Clashes with Soldiers | Three Members of Security Forces Stand Trial for Ngarbuh Massacre
The trial of three members of the security forces, two soldiers, and one gendarme, for their involvement in the Ngarbuh massacre in February 2020, began on December 17, 2020. According to Human Rights Watch, security forces killed 21 civilians, including 13 children, and subsequently looted and burned their houses. At first, the government denied any wrongdoing but later agreed to set up a commission of inquiry. This commission concluded that five of the killed individuals were armed fighters and 13 civilians were accidentally killed in the crossfire. Human Rights Watch criticized these findings of the commission, on which the trial is based, as only “going after low-ranking soldiers” and excluding those higher up in the chain of command. [December 14th, 2020]
REGIONAL ELECTIONS
Election Results| Ruling Party Wins Regional Elections in a Landslide
The ruling CPDM party of President Biya won nine out of ten regions in regional elections, held on December 6, 2020. Out of the 14 participating parties, only four managed to secure any seats in the regional councils. The two main opposition parties boycotted the elections out of concerns of fraud, reports of corruption, and what they called an unfair system. Only local chiefs and traditional rulers were allowed to vote. The regional elections this year were held for the first time after they were promised in 1996 as an effort to address regional grievances. [December 10th, 2020]
Election Interference | Separatists Impose Lockdown during Regional Elections
Armed anglophone separatists aimed to disrupt the regional election process in the two anglophone regions. They declared a four-day lockdown spanning over the election weekend and demanding that electors do not attend polling places. There were sparse instances of isolated violence at some polling places, including the killing of one traditional ruler, while the situation remained relatively calm throughout the country. [December 6th, 2020]
Election Interference | Government Offers “Financial Gesture” to Traditional Rulers
The central government offered “financial support” to traditional chiefs, who are the sole electors, only a few days before the regional elections. The support notably is offered from government funds while they show strong affiliation with the ruling party of President Biya, the CPDM. Opposition figures described the offer as a bribe and political manipulation. [December 2nd, 2020]
HUMAN RIGHTS IN CAMEROON
Opposition | Opposition Leader Fee to Leave His Own House Again
Police officers, who kept Maurice Kamto, the leader of the main opposition party, under de facto house arrest for months left their post on December 8, 2020. This ends the de facto detention of Kamto. The government has not issued any statements related to the initial practice of keeping Kamto in de facto captivity, any possible legal charges against the leader, or why the house arrest ended. [December 9th, 2020]