The ministry of defence, MINDEF, has in a release issued Tuesday 2 March 2021 made some clarifications on a recent report published by international human rights organisation, Human Rights Watch (HRW), in which it accused soldiers having carried out a raid in Ebam village, Manyu Division, South West region during which at least 20 women, including four with disabilities were raped, 36 locals arrested, and one killed alongside other rights violations.
It indicated that the “aim of the operation was to put out of action armed terrorists who were using the locality as a rear base to plan attacks in the Eyumojock Sub-Division and its surroundings”.
Contrary to the allegations of HRW, the release stated that the detachment that was supervised and commanded by an officer was made up of around 20 servicemen and not 50 soldiers as claimed by HRW.
“At the end of the operation which lasted for a few hours, 01 locally manufactured weapon and other ammunition were recovered, 16 motorcycles confiscated, 01 terrorist neutralized, 35 individuals arrested and placed at the disposal of the Mamfe Gendarmerie Company for questioning,” portions of the release read, adding, that an individual who was declared to be suffering from multiple pathologies was released before the questioning of the 34 others went on the same Sunday evening.
The MINDEF questioned why the “lockdown of a clearly identified terrorist base would constitute a “serious” violation of human rights” as indicated by the HRW in their report.
“By putting the state of Cameroon and the separatists on an equal footing of legitimacy on the one hand, and by clearly and clumsily siding with armed groups on the other hand, HRW stood true to its astonishing logic,” partially read the release which added that HRW has to the “detriment of its credibility, never reported objectively on events in the North West and South West regions, but always opting at the slightest opportunity for a systemic relentlessness and demonization of Cameroon’s Defence Forces”.
It stated that despite the attacks, the defence forces continue to carry out their missions in accordance with the rules of engagement, and are able to maintain a heavy disciplinary hand over its men when some of them violate such rules.
The MINDEF release however did not make mention of other allegations from the rights organisation notably the burning of one home, looting of scores of properties, and severely beating the men they took to a military base, raping of 20 women including four persons with disabilities, torture as well as payment of FCFA 25 000 to secure their release.
The US Embassy in Cameroon has condemned the act and all violence in which civilians are targeted and called for immediate investigations into the alleged incident and for perpetrators to be held accountable.
“That this attack, if found to be true, could go unacknowledged for a year speaks to the important role civil society and media organisations play in helping governments meet their obligations to their people,” the release from the Embassy read.
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