Committee Against Torture Flags Abuses in Cameroon

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, Cameroon – The 81st Session of the Committee Against Torture (CAT) has highlighted pressing human rights concerns in Cameroon, including the abusive use of military courts to try civilians and the persistence of gender-based violence. The review, which took place on November 13 and 14, 2024, examined Cameroon’s 6th periodic report and addressed a range of violations under the country’s legal and counterterrorism frameworks.

Led by H.E. Salomon Eheth, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations in Geneva, Cameroon’s delegation faced intense scrutiny from CAT rapporteurs Ana Racu and Jorge Contesse over the nation’s human rights records.

The CAT expressed grave concerns over the continued use of military courts to try civilians, a practice it deemed in violation of international human rights standards. The committee underscored that such jurisdiction contradicts international law and called on Cameroon to align its legal framework with global human rights jurisprudence.

The committee criticized Cameroon for lenient penalties for acts of torture and the application of statutes of limitations, which undermine accountability. It further flagged widespread reports of warrantless arrests, secret detentions, and torture, particularly targeting journalists, human rights defenders, and anglophone communities under counterterrorism measures.

Prison overcrowding and inhumane detention conditions also drew significant concern. The CAT highlighted the lack of access to legal counsel, medical care, and communication with relatives for detainees, as well as the absence of investigations into deaths in custody. These conditions, the committee stressed, facilitate torture and violate fundamental human rights.

The persistence of sexual and gender-based violence was another focal point. The CAT urged Cameroon to expedite the criminalization of domestic violence and address harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, and trafficking for sexual exploitation. The committee emphasized the urgent need to protect women and girls from such abuses.

The CAT questioned Cameroon's delay in ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). In response, the delegation pledged to accelerate the ratification process and enhance the monitoring of detention facilities through a functional national preventive mechanism.

The committee called on Cameroon to improve detention conditions and increase the number of trained prison staff, establish mechanisms to monitor places of detention ratify OPCAT and investigate allegations of torture and combating impunity. Cameroon has been required to provide information by 22 November 2025.

With growing international pressure, the Committee Against Torture’s recommendations highlight the urgent need for reforms to uphold human dignity, combat impunity, and ensure justice for victims of torture and abuse.