Due to the ongoing unrest in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, thousands of people have been arbitrarily arrested in the past 6 years. With victims ranging from teachers, lawyers, students, youths, staff at job sites, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, patients from hospitals, protesters, human rights activists and defenders, no category is excluded. For more information on the arrests, consult Katika237.com
National and international human rights defenders and organizations like Amnesty International, among others, have called for the release of these citizens to no avail. This is despite the recommendations given to Cameroon in 2018 at the Universal Periodic review, which obliged the Cameroon state to work towards releasing all those arbitrarily arrested, kept incommunicado, and without trial.
Actually, instead of complying, the State of Cameroon has multiplied the number of arbitrarily arrested, with detention centers packed full. Prisoners lack basic necessities. Many die in prison as a result of negligence. Sometimes healthcare is deliberately delayed to be provided at the verge of their death.
Given this terrible situation in Cameroon, in general, and its prisons in particular, there is an urgent need for mass release of those whose arrest is unquestionably arbitrary. The opposite is the case now, as more are being arrested even as we write.
On the 2nd of March, 2023, 157 youths were arrested from Matoh, Mbonge Mateki, Barombi, Kidongui, and Ediki villages following an Administrative Order issued by the SDO of Meme Division, Chamberlain Ntou’ou Ndong, with the justification that there are some terrorists in those villages. No investigations were carried out. One week later the numbers have risen to 190 youths and a few elderly persons.
The lawyers in charge of their case are led by Bar Lyonga who visited the Kumba prison on the 9th of March and was informed by the SDO that the investigations are still to begin. The Cameroon official added that the detainees will stay in prison for 15 days and extendable.
Law № 2005 of 27 July on Cameroon’s Criminal Procedure Code in its Section 8 makes mention of the Presumption of Innocence which should be enjoyed by every citizen. #ReleaseThem Campaign vehemently condemns their arbitrary arrest and detention while investigations are ongoing. It is clear that it is the executive arm and not the judiciary controlling these cases.
According to Barrister Lyonga, he and his colleagues are “not stopping the state from investigating” but they also recall that people who have not committed a crime should not be detained. The man of law ended by calling on the state counsel to investigate, charge them, send them to court, and follow the Cameroon criminal code for those found guilty of terrorism and other crimes.
Cameroon is a State of Law and should respect her own laws by releasing the over 190 youths from illegal and arbitrary detention.