This report represents the summary of our monthly Human Rights monitoring which is divided into different human rights violations and abuses CHRDA documented in the first half of the year 2023. The human rights issues raised in the report are related to the ongoing armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions and the Boko Haram Insurgency in the Far North Region. Violations and abuses by government forces, armed separatists, Boko Haram Insurgency groups and armed Fulani herders continue to claim lives and affect people’s safety, and livelihood, in the North West, South West and Far North Regions of Cameroon. The horrific effects of these human rights violations and abuses affect mostly those in the hinterlands especially those in the North West and South West Regions.

In October 2016, the ongoing Anglophone crisis started when lawyers and teachers from the North West and South West regions of Cameroon went on strike, protesting against what they termed the marginalization of the population, especially at the level of Common Law Courts and the Anglo-Saxon Education System. The protests were led by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. These protests were met with a stiff and violent response from the Cameroon government authorities and in 2017, and the crisis degenerated into full- blown armed conflict between the Separatist fighters and the State Defense Forces. The Boko Haram insurgency began in Nigeria in 2009 and subsequently spread across the Lake Chad basin countries, including Cameroon. Boko Haram indiscriminately attack civilians using Improvised Explosive Devices, suicide bombings in crowded areas and use of lethal weapons thereby targeting civilians and civilian properties. In the first half of the year 2023, there were reported cases of human rights abuses perpetrated by the Boko Haram Insurgency Group.

In the first half of the year 2023, CHRDA recorded significant human rights violations and abuses committed in the conflict-affected regions of Cameroon by state defense and security forces, non- state armed groups and the authorities. These violations include; arbitrary killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, delayed litigations, harsh conditions in detention centers, abduction and physical abuse, arson, and Gender-Based Violence, ransom taking, restrictions on the right to free movement. The conflict-stricken North West, South West and Far North Regions of Cameroon are facing serious human rights violations and abuses. The increase in the violations and abuses stem from violent conflicts resulting to insecurity, and administrative lapses in the regions. In the North West and South West Regions, the First half of the year 2023 was characterized by events that escalated the ongoing armed conflict in one way or the other. On 20 January 2023, Global Affairs Canada announced that they were officially going to mediate between the ‘Ambazonia’ Separatist Groups and Cameroon Government authorities but it later failed due to refusal by the Cameroonian authorities. This particular event led to the escalation of the armed conflict as more killings and destructions were perpetrated by both the state and non-state armed groups thereafter. The celebration of the Cameroon Youth Day (11 February), the commemoration
of International Women’s Day (8 March), and the celebration of National Unity Day (20 May) contributed to the escalation of the violence as there were calls for ghost towns and life threats from separatist fighters against civilians who attempted to participate in the celebrations. The Mount Cameroon Race of Hope which took place on 25 February also contributed to the escalation of the armed conflict as separatist fighters called for a lockdown, aimed at paralyzing this event.

The Senatorial Elections of 12 March 2023, saw “Ambazonia’ Separatist Groups threaten those participating to dare engage elections and face them. The first quarter of the year 2023 also saw an increase in conflict between the armed Fulani militias, the civilian population and armed separatists in the North West Region of Cameroon. The
conflict stems from the protracted farmer-grazer-oriented land conflict between the Fulani and Natives of the North West Region. We recorded a number of incident, especially in the Nwa Sub-division and Momo Division of the Northwest Region. Still in that light, we also recorded a significant number of human rights abuses by the Fulani militias crossing from Nigeria to the Donga Matung Division of the North West Region.

Download full report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ChngJQBJ0oglAMa-3gDu7YLsqd0T0Dlg/view?usp=drive_link