CAMEROON: IMPACT OF THE ANGLOPHONE CRISIS ON CHILDREN" is a paper that was presented by a Cameroonian, TAKU CATHERINE ARREY-NGANG, at the 34th ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AFRICAN COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD (ACERWC) ,which held in Cairo, Egypt from 25th November – 05 December 2019.Taku Catherine Arrey-Ngang was at the conference both as a participant ,invited by OSIWA and a resource person representing Cameroon Women Peace Movement (CAWOPEM). Discussions ,among other issues, focused on African countries such as Cameroon, Uganda and South Sudan where conflict is affecting
children negatively.
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| Taku Catherine Arrey-Ngang (standing behind table) presenting the impact of the Anglophone Crisis on children |
CAMEROON: IMPACT OF THE ANGLOPHONE CRISIS ON CHILDREN
(By Taku Catherine Arrey-Ngang )"The Republic of Cameroon has been facing a growing number of security challenges in the past years: Boko Haram exigencies in the Far North Region, violence in Adamawa, and the Anglophone crisis in the North West and South West Regions.
The various conflicts in Cameroon are problematic to manage, but the Anglophone crisis is considered the most challenging because of the number of casualties experienced, high number of displaced persons, and the fact that children‟s welfare are a direct consequence of the crisis. This paper will therefore concentrate on the plight of children in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon as a result of the Anglophone crisis.
Let me first of all situate Cameroon:
Cameroon is made up of two entirely different cultures that came together. The North West and South West Regions are English-speaking while the rest of the other eight (8) Regions are French-speaking. The conflict, which escalated on the 22nd of September 2016, began with a strike by Anglophone lawyers and teachers in protest to the apparent government-backed endeavours to marginalise traditional practices within Anglophone courts and schools. This has gradually led to fighting between the minority Anglophone populations and the government military forces, and has thus been termed the „Anglophone Crisis‟. In response to the discontent by the peaceful and armless lawyers and teachers, the military decided to use coercion and force, which led to an escalation of tensions and demands. Since the 2016 protests, the conflict has become increasingly violent, and crimes have been committed by multiple parties.
In the Anglophone Regions of the South West and North West, government security forces (henceforth military forces) have carried out arbitrary arrests of civilians, committed extrajudicial executions, tortured detainees and burnt down entire villages, leaving children with no access to schools or health facilities. The separatist fighters have on their part killed hundreds of military forces, beheaded men and women alike for being traitors to their cause, kidnapped school child, beat and maimed several teachers and placed an embargo on the functioning of schools. All these impediments and restrictions fall directly on children and youths who can neither gain any further education nor move freely in their communities.
In a report submitted to the UK Parliament by an independent research team based at the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford on the Cameroon Anglophone Crisis, a comprehensive analysis of alleged human rights abuses committed to date and recommends actions are explained. The Report, which cogitates evidence of human rights abuses that have been committed by the Cameroonian State forces and by separatist groups in the Anglophone Regions, suspects that human rights violations include extra-judicial killings, torture, destruction of property, fair trial violations, and inhumane and degrading conditions of detention. These violations breach both Cameroonian national laws and international human rights laws that bind Cameroon.
Below is a summary of the impact of the Anglophone crisis on child
ren and youths living in the two affected Regions in the domain of education, health, sexuality and morals.
TYPES OF ABUSES
ABUSE N0.1) No school, No education
Cameroon separatists have warned, since 2016, against schools functioning in the NW and SW Regions. This has led to more than 855.000 children to drop out of school, and 6.000 others have moved to other Regions where some live in deployable conditions.
To this effect, several schools have remained closed for the past three years.
The SW Region alone had a total of 415 secondary schools in record.
To this effect, several schools have remained closed for the past three years.
The SW Region alone had a total of 415 secondary schools in record.
But as of September 2019, only 91 of these schools were fully functional, while an alarming 306 schools have been shut down because of insecurity. The rest are either destroyed or occupied by the fighting parties. And up to 744 public schools are non-operational.
This is a gross violation of a child‟s right to education as spelled out in Article 28 of the GA resolution 44/25 of Nov 1989.
This is a gross violation of a child‟s right to education as spelled out in Article 28 of the GA resolution 44/25 of Nov 1989.
ABUSE N0.2 - Internally displaced children
According to UNICEF‟s most recent report, up to 150.000 children have been displaced in the last 3 years. This number is quite alarming considering the effects of displacement on youths.
ABUSE N0.3- Killing of children
A report of 21 March 2019 shows how two children were killed; One child appears to be aged 6, male, the other 2 years or under, female.
This is just an example of dozens of children who have been killed in this crisis for unexplained reasons.
Children are also buried alive e.g the case of the 18year old high school student buried alive in Kumba, South West Region.
Article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of a Child states that “every child has the inherent right to life”.
ABUSE N0.4- Several cases of Sexual Violence
The most prominent being the rape of a 17 year old lactating girl by a security officer in Bamenda. She goes out in pain and narrates her ordeal to Bamenda residents. This video is said to have caught the attention of Human Rights Organisations.
Violation of Article 19 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
P/S: The officer has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for gross violation of human rights. (image included)
ABUSE N0.5 - Abduction of school children and teachers
Violation of Article 19 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
P/S: The officer has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for gross violation of human rights. (image included)
ABUSE N0.5 - Abduction of school children and teachers
Several school children have been taken hostage or abducted in the Anglophone Regions for attempting to go to school. The most appalling was the abduction of 79 students from a boarding school in the NW in November 2018. These students were molested and told to return to their homes else face more death. It is still unclear if this kidnap was done by the separatists or government forces. (image included)
ABUSE N0.6-Children soldiers
This crisis has caused many youths to drop out of school; and for lack of what to do, some have decided to take up arms and join the separatists. Many of such children, often between the ages of 8 and 17, are seen on videos carrying arms or simply in the company of older fighters being used as errand boys or informants. Image included)
ABUSE N0.7-Unwanted pregnancies
Countless number of girls have become pregnant in the past three years as a consequence of the Anglophone crisis. This is because an idle person searches for other areas to keep busy. These girls end up as school drop outs, with no one to take care of their illegitimate children.
ABUSE N0.8 -Child prostitution
Child prostitution has been on the rise since 2017 when many young girls were forced to be displaced to Yaounde and Douala in search of a refuge. Many of these girls could not be taken care by their relatives, and had to turn to prostitution as a survival strategy.
ABUSE N0.9 -Violence and intimidation
In June 2019, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) put the number of schools destroyed at 74. It also said students, teachers and school officials have been exposed to violence and intimidation since 2018. More than 300 students and teachers were abducted and subjected to trauma by non-state armed groups.
ABUSE N0.10- Child Trafficking on the rise.
There has been a very high increase in child trafficking since this crisis started. Its true that many children need assistance considering that their parents cannot afford. Unfortunately many people use this as an excuse to use children for unorthodox purposes.
11.
ABUSE N0.11-Loss of life/ Untimely death
11.
ABUSE N0.11-Loss of life/ Untimely death
Children are now being buried alive.
The most case being that of the 18 year student of Kumba who was buried alive for having an affair with a military man and thus considered a sell-out.
Every child has the inherent right to life.
The Human Rights Watch, which defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, reports that the armed separatists in Anglophone Cameroon forced the majority of schools to close during the 2016-2017 academic year, and as of May 2018 an estimated 42,500 children were still out of school. According to UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), most schools did not re-open in 2018. The 2019 Mid-year Report of the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education in the South West reveals that out of the 79,504 hours programmed to be taught, only 11,080 was effectively taught. This shows that even those who go to school do not receive adequate learning as a result of the unrest, frequent ghost towns and shut down days.
The most case being that of the 18 year student of Kumba who was buried alive for having an affair with a military man and thus considered a sell-out.
Every child has the inherent right to life.
The Human Rights Watch, which defends the rights of people in 90 countries worldwide, spotlighting abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice, reports that the armed separatists in Anglophone Cameroon forced the majority of schools to close during the 2016-2017 academic year, and as of May 2018 an estimated 42,500 children were still out of school. According to UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), most schools did not re-open in 2018. The 2019 Mid-year Report of the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education in the South West reveals that out of the 79,504 hours programmed to be taught, only 11,080 was effectively taught. This shows that even those who go to school do not receive adequate learning as a result of the unrest, frequent ghost towns and shut down days.
The report equally states that on April 30, Father William Neba, principal of St. Bede‟s College, in Ashing near Belo, North West Region, was reported abducted while celebrating mass with students. He was released two days later. The school suspended classes on the day of the abduction. In September, unidentified gunmen attacked a girl‟s school in Bafut, North West region, kidnapping five pupils and severely wounding the principal.
In September, the government endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, an international political agreement to protect education during armed conflict.
CONCLUSION
The Anglophone crisis has drastically affected children in the two Regions of North West and South West. From being deprived of education to food scarcity, lack of healthcare and increased in teenage pregnancy to some lives being completely destroyed.
Since 2016 children have seen their parents or loved one being brutally murdered; others as young as three (3) years have been forced to be separated with their parents in search of education in other Regions.
Thousands have been living in the jungles as a way of escaping from violence in the townships, and children are living in continuous fear as run into hiding under beds or behind trees whenever they hear any sound. Such psychological trauma and emotional and mental suffering experienced by children is very distressing.
It is our hope that more action will be taken to curb such anguish and restore peace in the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon so that the rights of children can be restores, viz the right to education, health, safe life, and the right to be cared for by their own parents as outlined in the 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child.
These children affected by the Anglophone crisis need food, accommodation, education, health care, and above all emotional stability in order to live a fulfilled life like other children. Our Organisation,the Cameroon Women Peace Movement, CAWOPEM has added its voice to decry these violation of
children‟s rights in particular, and human rights in general in these two affected Regions.
RECOMMENDATIONS
There is the need for urgent action to be taken by the ACERWC Committee, the Commission
on Human Rights, and the Peace and Security Council to end the Anglophone crisis so that
children can regain their lives.
If nothing is done, Cameroon runs the risk of losing an entire generation of young people.
While children in other countries and even in the East of the Mongo of Cameroon are studying,
Anglophone children are wasting in the bushes. It is our hope that action is taken now.
It is our plea that Anglophone Cameroon is remembered in all discussions of peace, terrorism
and conflict areas of Africa.
_________________________________________________________________________
REFERENCES:
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/of 5th November 2019
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Resolution 44/25 of 20th November 1989.
REFERENCES:
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/of 5th November 2019
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Resolution 44/25 of 20th November 1989.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/world/cameroon-anglophone-crisis/ (Accessed November 20th 2019).
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AFR1784812018ENGLISH.PDF. 23-27.
Killed; Hundreds of Homes Burned.‟ (March 28th 2019)
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/28/cameroon-new-attackscivilians-troopsseparatists
(Accessed November 20th 2019).
involvement in death of four-month old in violence-plagued anglophone region.‟ (The
Guardian, May 27th 2019).
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/27/cameroonian-soldiers-accused-ofkilling-baby-as-familyflees. Accessed 21st Nov. 2019.
Cameroon.
1 comment:
Very good Mam. Cameroonian youths are suffering and such has to be denounced
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