WILPF Cameroon's Position Following the Riots in the English Regions of Cameroon

Article by WILPF detailing WILPF Cameroon's position following the riots in the English Regions of Cameroon. Read or download the article in full below or find the original here

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Cameroon is facing again other difficult times marked by violence in the English speaking regions, notably the North West and South West.

This situation has come to add to increasing insecurity created by the massive influx of refugees coming in from Nigeria and Central African Republic and the incursion of the terrorist sect Boko Haram which have greatly affected many regions of the country with a considerable impact on women and girls.

This new situation started with lawyers’ strike, after having several times asked for the harmonisation of the linguistic system on certain legal instruments and a reflection on the present judicial system in these parts of the country that accommodate difficultly to the practice of law in the Anglo-Saxon system. After the lawyers came in the teachers in Bamenda, questioning the current anglophone educative system overshadowed by the french speaking system. The Buea University students joined the uprisings after the teachers, standing up for the non-payment of their scholarship award which resulted in some students not able to pay for their registration fees and for this reason, forced to pay a fine of 10,000 FRS.

Unfortunately, these uprisings, which were peaceful from the onset, then degenerated to violence which is very regrettable and strongly condemned by the coalition of women and youth’s organisations for Peace and Active Non Violence led by WILPF Cameroon which is not satisfied with the manner in which the government has reacted to these uprising of the citizens and thus, invites the parties concerned to use dialogue to address these problems.

As a matter of fact, WILPF Cameroon strongly believes that sustainable peace building can only be achieved through questioning the root causes of conflicts, thus a call on the government to use dialogue and negotiation as tools for appeasement and lasting solution to these conflicts which have projected a negative image of our nation.

Download and share WILPF Cameroon’s position following the riots in the English regions of Cameroon (English version).

Download and share WILPF Cameroon’s position following the riots in the English regions of Cameroon (French version).