PRESS RELEASE
Union of North West Human Rights Organizations-UNOWRURO
POSITION STATEMENT ON TRANS-BORDER INSECURITY AND BOKO HARAM ACTIVITIES
The recent abduction of over 200 innocent
Nigerian female students from the Chibok Secondary School; the continuous
deprivation of their basic human rights, especially the right to religion and
education; the tacit reaction and lack of commitment from the international
community; and the threat to security and peace in countries neighboring
Nigeria especially Cameroon, has become a preoccupying issue to the Cameroonian
Civil Society in general and the Union of North West Human Rights Organizations
in particular. Informed by the United Nations Charter whereby over 189 member
states are signatory and inspired by Article 55 and 56 which state in their
preambles that: ‘With a view to the creation of conditions of stability and
well-being which are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among
nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and
self-determination of peoples, member states ….
pledge themselves to take joint and separate action in co-operation with the
Organization for the achievement of the purposes set forth in Article 55’, the Union of North west Human Rights
Organizations meeting in an extraordinary session in Bamenda this Tuesday May
13, 2014, accuses the international community of betraying their commitments to
stamping out terrorism and cross-border insecurity, especially when innocent
girls become soft targets.
That the international
community has since 2009 stood by and watched Boko Haram activities top to a
degree with thousands of people losing their lives and that this Islamic
extremist group’s activities is receiving financial and intelligence support
from international networks cutting across countries, is the more worrisome to
the Union of North West Human Rights Organizations.
The Union of North West
Human Rights Organizations which is made up of well-meaning Humana Rights
Organizations and CBOs is the more concerned given that the activities of Boko
haram are not only diabolical in their nature, inescapable in their reach, but
more dangerously, overwhelming in their dimension. The trans-border insecurity
brought by it has not only been felt in the Far North of Cameroon but also in
nearby Baworo in Menchum division. As if this is not enough, their consistent
attempts to us Cameroonian soil as a ‘Safe Haven’ is likely to create visible
cracks in the new-found smooth relations between Cameroon and Nigerian
government. This likely erosion of confidence could dampen the benefits
Cameroonians in general and North Westerners in particular would have drawn
from the Green Tree Accord with the resultant passage of the Bamenda-Ekok-Enugu
road. No Cameroonian committed to the attainment of the MDGs could be
indifferent to the kidnapping of the over 200 Nigerian girls given that girls
in communities along borders with Nigeria could be scared of going to school
for fear of the unknown.
As our thoughts and
compassion go to the kidnapped innocent girls and their parents especially
because of the physical and psychological torture they currently go through, we
acknowledge the actions being undertaken by countries like
the United States, Britain, France and the others to see to it that these
young girls are freed unhurt. We would like to urge the United Nations as the
leader of the international community to without further delay sees into it
that Article 55 and 56 of the U.N Charter are implemented in order that these
children be rescued.
Furthermore, we call on
countries especially in West and Central Africa to do all in their favour to
address issues of class difference and extreme poverty, improve governance and
the role of law-which activities can greatly reduce extremism. We particularly
encourage the Cameroon government to take a bold step and implement Article 66
of the 1996 Constitution on the disclosure of assets in line with the prescriptions
of the United Nations Office for Drug and Crime, UNODC.
Finally, as a socially
responsible Union, we call on Cameroonians of all works of life especially
those living in border areas, to increase vigilance at individual and community
level and to immediately report to Forces of Law and Order any suspected and
strange faces in our neighborhood.
Chongsi
Joseph Ayeah
List of Organizations:
1.
Center
for Human Rights Peace and Advocacy-CHRAPA
2.
Nkumu
Fed Fed
3.
Community
Education and Development Service-CEDS
4.
Women
in Action against Gender Based Violence-WACameroon
5.
Center
for Advocacy in Gender Equality and Action for Development-CAGEAD
6.
A
Common Future
7.
Health
Development Consultancy Services-HEDECS
8.
Community
Human Rights and Advocacy Center-CHRAC
9.
Community
Initiative for Sustainable Development-COMINSUD
10.
MBOSCUDA
11.
Society
for Initiative in Rural Development and Environment Protection-SIRDEP
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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