By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
Popular human rights organisation, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has in its 2020 annual report published this week criticized separatist fighters and government forces over widespread rights abuses, extrajudicial killings and other atrocities.
It recalled that soldiers and armed ethnic Fulani men massacred 21 civilians in Ngarbuh, a village in the North-West region while separatists on their part targeted aid workers, their premises, and property across the two English-speaking regions as well as civilians, posting some of the videos of such attacks on social media.
“Separatists have violently enforced a boycott on children’s education since 2017, and on October 24, gunmen attacked a school in Kumba, South-West region, killing 7 children and injuring 13,” the report stated.
Abuse by Government Forces
HRW revealed that security forces responded to separatist attacks with a heavy hand, often targeting civilians and killings hundreds of people across the two troubled regions.
Gov't forces accused of extrajudicial killings, use of force of civilians
It stated that between January 17 and 20, 2020, security forces conducted a military operation in Bali, in retaliation for separatist attacks on polling centers, destroying over 50 homes and killing several civilians, including two men with intellectual disabilities. It added that a grenade was fired into a district hospital in Bali in April which following clashes between government soldiers and separatists, leading to the death of one cardiac patient and injuring at least four.
The report accused soldiers of damaging a health facility in the North-West region on June 30 and arbitrarily arresting seven health workers, accused of collaborating with separatists, in the South-West region on July 6.
Abuse by Armed Separatists
It report also detailed atrocities committed by armed separatist groups including killings, torture, assault and kidnappings of hundreds of people and prevention of humanitarian workers and teachers from doing their jobs, depriving children of access to education.
It recalled that in the run up to the municipal and legislative elections in February, armed separatists targeted those willing to participate, whether as candidates, election officials, activists, or citizens, kidnapping over 100 people and destroying property while ransoms were paid for their release.
“On January 30, separatists kidnapped a 19-year-old secondary school student in Buea, South-West region, and chopped her finger off with a machete for going to school. The girl was released three days later following a ransom payment. Separatists have killed at least six civilians since mid-May, including on May 17 a teacher working at the University of Bameda…on July 6, separatists killed a community health staff working for Doctors Without Borders in the South-West region after accusing him of collaborating with the military,” it detailed.
The HRW reported added that in August, separatist fighters in Muyuka, South-West region, filmed the beating of a 35-year-old woman as she begged for her life but was later beheaded added to continuous separatists attacks on schools, students, and teachers across the Anglophone regions.
Boko Haram Attacks
On the conflict in the country’s Far Northern borders, HRW said attacks carried out by Boko Haram Islamist sect increased with almost daily killings, kidnappings, thefts, and destruction of property.
“In April, Boko Haram fighters stormed Amchidé, Far North region. Two teenage suicide bombers detonated their explosives in the center of the town, killing nine men and injuring 10 others. Another man was shot in a confrontation between Boko Haram fighters and the military. An attack by apparent child suicide bombers, carried out overnight between August 1 and 2, in a displacement camp in the town of Nguetechewe, killed at least 17 civilians, including 5 children and 6 women, and wounded at least 16,” the report recalled.
It stated that in response to the attacks, government soldiers of the 42nd Battalian in Mozogo, forced civilians to perform local night guard duties to protect against Boko Haram attacks in March and April in at least one town.
Crackdown on Political Opposition
The report faulted government for limiting the ability of political opponents to function freely by prohibiting two private meetings planned by the opposition party, Cameroon Renaissance Movement with use of anti-terror laws as well as citing concerns on COVID-19 spread.
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