Cameroon: Human Rights Defender Drums Need for Peace at International Day of Peace

The United Nations General Assembly declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

YAOUNDE, September 21, 2023 – With the uptick in violence caused by the socio-political crisis in the North West and South West Regions, with tens of thousands killed, kidnapped, maimed, and incommunicado detentions, never has Cameroon needed peace more.

“A society cannot strive when there is chaos and crisis,” Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor, founder of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA told Pan African Visions. “Peace is an interesting day within the framework of what is happening in the country; in the North the issue of Boko Haram, in the East the refugee issue and the North West and South West regions with the anglophone crisis.”

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared September 21 as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never more is this non-violence and cease-fire act needed than the English-speaking regions of Cameroon, who just finished a two-week imposed separatist “ghost town.”

More than 6,000 people have been killed as a result of the crisis since 2016, according to the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect as armed separatist groups seek independence for the country's minority Anglophone regions.

Security forces have perpetrated extrajudicial killings and widespread sexual and gender-based violence, burned Anglophone villages and subjected individuals with suspected separatist ties to arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment. Armed separatists have also killed, kidnapped and terrorized populations while steadily asserting control over large parts of the Anglophone regions.

Barrister Nkongho Felix added: “Peace is at the micro and macro levels; the individuals and the collective have to play a role and our society will not strive in chaos. There is a need for everyone to work towards peace. Peace is not a one-off thing but everyone has to be players, agents towards having a sustainable peace; not just peace for the time being or peace because we want to achieve something but long-last peace.”

“It is priceless to work and advocate for peace and a lot of things strive in a peaceful environment. Everything we do there is an interconnection between peace and development, human rights, democracy and sustainability.”

This year’s theme for the International Day of Peace is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the Global Goals. According to the United Nations, it is a call to action that recognizes individual and collective responsibility to foster peace.

“This year’s theme reminds us that peace is not automatic. Peace is the result of action,” Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General said in his message. “Action to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure that no one is left behind. Action to end the war on our planet and its natural gifts. Action to uphold and protect the human rights and dignity of every person — especially as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

“Peace is not only a noble vision for humanity. Peace is a call to action. Let us commit to build, drive and sustain peace for all,” the United Nations Secretary-General added.

“It will be a step in the right direction if the warring factions all over the world could decide to drop their weapons for 24 hours. One step at a time. If we have 24hrs, we can extend it to another 24hrs,” Barrister Felix Nkongho said while adding that if it is just to drop arms for 24hrs and pick it up the next day, yes it might have saved some lives but a long-term solution is needed.

“When you put the people first, there is a tendency that whatever decisions that you make are people-centric and would be peaceful. The average citizen in this country wants peace. What is the state without its population? If people are not living in peace, it serves no justification to have it.”