11/06/2020

Civil war in Cameroon escalates

Abduction of a Cardinal – Europe must finally act! (Press Release)

Following the abduction of a cardinal and a traditional leader in the northwest of Cameroon, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns of an escalation of the civil war in the country. The human rights organization stated that Europe should now act and show more commitment to find a political solution to the conflict over the future of the Anglophone regions of the country. The regions are striving for independence as the people feel discriminated against in the French-speaking country. "Germany should use its EU Presidency to put an end to the attacks on schools and on the civilian population of Cameroon. This can only be achieved by negotiating a political solution to the conflict over the Anglophone regions," emphasized Ulrich Delius, the STP's Director, in Göttingen on Friday.

Yesterday afternoon, Christian Tumi, Cardinal Emeritus and former Archbishop of the port city of Douala, was kidnapped by alleged supporters of the armed independence movement in the northwest of the country. The movement had accused the 90-year-old of falsely giving the impression of normality in the civil war regions by calling for school attendance. The theologian, who was trained in Freiburg, Germany, is considered a sharp critic of the government policy in the Anglophone regions. Tumi had repeatedly accused the government of fomenting new violence with its policy – and he had called for political dialog.

The other abductee is the traditional leader Sem Mbinglo, the King of Nso, who had accompanied the Cardinal. Both personalities are highly respected moral authorities in the region. "Their abduction marks a new sad climax in the civil war that has escalated over the last two weeks – even with attacks on schools," Delius criticized. Only yesterday, eleven teachers who had been kidnapped from their primary and secondary schools last Tuesday were released. Several students and a teacher who had also been kidnapped had been released earlier.

The movements fighting for the independence of the Anglophone regions are trying to intimidate the civilian population with the kidnappings. They want to prevent school attendance so that life in the Anglophone regions does not appear normal. "Attacks on schools, however, are crimes against humanity and cannot be justified by anything," Delius stated. Both the independence movements and the regular army are accused of serious human rights violations.