**5. Government response and human rights violations**

Cameroon 2018 Human Rights Report [27] states that "although the law provides for freedom of peaceful assembly, the government often restricted this right. The law requires organizers of public meetings, demonstrations, and processions to notify officials in advance and does not require prior government approval of public assemblies, nor does it authorize the government to suppress public assembles that it has not approved in advance. However, officials routinely asserted the law implicitly authorizes the government to grant or deny permission for public assemblies".

It equally states that, "the government often refused to grant permits for gatherings and used force to suppress assemblies for which it had not issued permits. Authorities typically cited "security concerns" as the basis for deciding to block assemblies. The government also prevented civil society organizations and political parties from holding press conferences. Police and gendarmes forcibly disrupted meetings and demonstrations of citizens, trade unions, and political activists, arrested participants in unapproved protests, and blocked political leaders from attending protests."

In the Stream: Alzeera 2017 [28], Anne Marie Befoune put it as "The strike action is a reflection of a bigger problem, people have had a lot of pains, frustration and anger in their hearts and they were just looking for the slightest opportunity to express what they feel." The irony is that each time the security forces brutalized the protesters, they instead united against the common enemy, which was the government security forces.

Government responded by cruelly torturing and exerting inhuman or degrading treatments or punishment on demonstrators. Although the constitution and law prohibit such practices, there were reports that security force members beat, harassed, or otherwise abused citizens, including separatist fighters. Cases have been documented of how security forces severely mistreated suspected separatists and detainees [27].

Below we show videos that demonstrate gross human rights violation of the lawyer, the students and the general public.

#### **5.1 Molestation of lawyers**

The government sent over 5000 troops to thwart the Anglophone crisis. According to Zigolo [25] reporting for France 24 [25], the crisis was considered to be "a strong organized and well-coordinated violence from angry protesters and government did not want to allow that part of the country to be destroyed and the protesters too said they would not stop protesting until the government solved their problem".

According to *StopBlaBlaCam* [29], policemen blew the 'the men in uniform': lawyers with their batons in Buea. The whole city was also under lockdown, monitored by Special Rapid Response (ESIR), the police and gendarmerie. There was also a strong police presence to face the demonstrators. Incidentally, the policemen were demanding that the lawyers hand over their black robes.

On November 10, 2016, the demonstration of lawyers in Buea in the Southwest region met with heavy-handed police response. Lawyers were reportedly brutalized, their offices ransacked, and their wigs and gowns seized by police. Many were injured and harassed in their cars. Their phones were seized and destroyed, and some were barred from joining the demonstrators. Police reportedly raided hotels in search for lawyers and were harassed by law enforcement officers (**Figure 2**).

**155**

strike.

*Uprising and Human Rights Abuses in Southern Cameroon-Ambazonia*

*Confrontation between the police and lawyers. Source: Cameroon Online [30].*

The video entitled: Uprising 4 Police Brutality on Lawyers [31] clearly shows the commotion that took place in the Muea police station. One sees a police officer running after a young lawyer and then another lawyer is pushed into the police station by yet another policeman. Another lawyer is beaten and pushed out of the police station. The police kicks another who falls down and his watch falls off but the police pulls him up by dragging his coat. A female fat police encourages her colleague to hit the lawyer by clearly articulating the phrase in French "frappe,"

The episodes of police brutality in Cameroon were not limited to lawyers only; it extended to University of Buea students as well as the general public. Many were molested by police and disturbing videos show police officers armed with stick hitting or rolling them in water, invading students' quarters and beating them.

The videos show appalling images of how French-speaking soldiers, who were alienated from the sufferings of English-speaking citizens, inflicted pains on them. Although they were in the same country, they could not communicate because they

The video Police and Gendarmes severely torturing University Students in Buea strike [32] certainly was filmed while in the house because of the iron bars of the window. In it, two policemen force a student to lie down very fast: "Couches-toi"

"Ne parle pas," "viens ici," "Enleve la cle ci," "viens d'abord ici, regarde la bas," they continuously ordered him. Then one of them raises his baton and hits him while the other forces him to lie down while they hit him counting the number of strokes in French. The police standing by takes the baton from his colleague and asks the students to roll on the soil while he hits him with all his force. "Tourne, c'est votre pays-ci?" he asked whether it was his country. "Vous savez que vous allez gravez?" he asked while hitting him whether he knew they would go on

"Comment ca," the young man retaliated by asking why.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91053*

"frappez-lui" over and over.

**Figure 2.**

spoke different languages.

the police ordered him to lie down.

"Couche-toi vite," he ordered again.

**5.2 Molestation against university students**

*Uprising and Human Rights Abuses in Southern Cameroon-Ambazonia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91053*

#### **Figure 2.**

*Education, Human Rights and Peace in Sustainable Development*

attending protests."

ment security forces.

and detainees [27].

problem".

**5.1 Molestation of lawyers**

lawyer, the students and the general public.

**5. Government response and human rights violations**

Cameroon 2018 Human Rights Report [27] states that "although the law provides for freedom of peaceful assembly, the government often restricted this right. The law requires organizers of public meetings, demonstrations, and processions to notify officials in advance and does not require prior government approval of public assemblies, nor does it authorize the government to suppress public assembles that it has not approved in advance. However, officials routinely asserted the law implicitly authorizes the government to grant or deny permission for public assemblies". It equally states that, "the government often refused to grant permits for gatherings and used force to suppress assemblies for which it had not issued permits. Authorities typically cited "security concerns" as the basis for deciding to block assemblies. The government also prevented civil society organizations and political parties from holding press conferences. Police and gendarmes forcibly disrupted meetings and demonstrations of citizens, trade unions, and political activists, arrested participants in unapproved protests, and blocked political leaders from

In the Stream: Alzeera 2017 [28], Anne Marie Befoune put it as "The strike action is a reflection of a bigger problem, people have had a lot of pains, frustration and anger in their hearts and they were just looking for the slightest opportunity to express what they feel." The irony is that each time the security forces brutalized the protesters, they instead united against the common enemy, which was the govern-

Government responded by cruelly torturing and exerting inhuman or degrading treatments or punishment on demonstrators. Although the constitution and law prohibit such practices, there were reports that security force members beat, harassed, or otherwise abused citizens, including separatist fighters. Cases have been documented of how security forces severely mistreated suspected separatists

Below we show videos that demonstrate gross human rights violation of the

The government sent over 5000 troops to thwart the Anglophone crisis. According to Zigolo [25] reporting for France 24 [25], the crisis was considered to be "a strong organized and well-coordinated violence from angry protesters and government did not want to allow that part of the country to be destroyed and the protesters too said they would not stop protesting until the government solved their

According to *StopBlaBlaCam* [29], policemen blew the 'the men in uniform': lawyers with their batons in Buea. The whole city was also under lockdown, monitored by Special Rapid Response (ESIR), the police and gendarmerie. There was also a strong police presence to face the demonstrators. Incidentally, the policemen

On November 10, 2016, the demonstration of lawyers in Buea in the Southwest region met with heavy-handed police response. Lawyers were reportedly brutalized, their offices ransacked, and their wigs and gowns seized by police. Many were injured and harassed in their cars. Their phones were seized and destroyed, and some were barred from joining the demonstrators. Police reportedly raided hotels in search for lawyers and were harassed by law enforcement officers

were demanding that the lawyers hand over their black robes.

**154**

(**Figure 2**).

*Confrontation between the police and lawyers. Source: Cameroon Online [30].*

The video entitled: Uprising 4 Police Brutality on Lawyers [31] clearly shows the commotion that took place in the Muea police station. One sees a police officer running after a young lawyer and then another lawyer is pushed into the police station by yet another policeman. Another lawyer is beaten and pushed out of the police station. The police kicks another who falls down and his watch falls off but the police pulls him up by dragging his coat. A female fat police encourages her colleague to hit the lawyer by clearly articulating the phrase in French "frappe," "frappez-lui" over and over.

The episodes of police brutality in Cameroon were not limited to lawyers only; it extended to University of Buea students as well as the general public. Many were molested by police and disturbing videos show police officers armed with stick hitting or rolling them in water, invading students' quarters and beating them.

#### **5.2 Molestation against university students**

The videos show appalling images of how French-speaking soldiers, who were alienated from the sufferings of English-speaking citizens, inflicted pains on them. Although they were in the same country, they could not communicate because they spoke different languages.

The video Police and Gendarmes severely torturing University Students in Buea strike [32] certainly was filmed while in the house because of the iron bars of the window. In it, two policemen force a student to lie down very fast: "Couches-toi" the police ordered him to lie down.

"Comment ca," the young man retaliated by asking why.

"Couche-toi vite," he ordered again.

"Ne parle pas," "viens ici," "Enleve la cle ci," "viens d'abord ici, regarde la bas," they continuously ordered him. Then one of them raises his baton and hits him while the other forces him to lie down while they hit him counting the number of strokes in French. The police standing by takes the baton from his colleague and asks the students to roll on the soil while he hits him with all his force. "Tourne, c'est votre pays-ci?" he asked whether it was his country. "Vous savez que vous allez gravez?" he asked while hitting him whether he knew they would go on strike.

The video entitled "2 police and Gendarmes severely torturing University Students in Buea, Buea strike [33] shows with a lot of noise in the background, two policemen harassing university students in their neighborhood. Three university students are laying down, one in a puddle and a female student is brought in and the police man brutally pushed her in the puddle.

"Attend d'abord, je vais te giffler hei," the policeman said in French threatening to slap the girl and then the girl's leg is pulled and is forcefully pulled in the puddle, rubbing her head in it.

"They go kill man," they camera man exclaimed that they would kill them.

The Southern Cameroon updates: Police Brutality at UB 28/11/2016 [34] certainly taken from a story building shows how a group of police and gendarmes in the street of Molyko molested a young man. While one of the policemen was pulling him ahead, another one came from behind and kicked him and he fell down. It is clearly seen how one of the security officers had wounded a female student's head, one also sees a student whose t-shirt had been torn and blood dripping from his head.

The video: Université de Buéa - les forces de l'ordre entrent dans les residences et tortuent des etudiants [35] starts with the camera woman inviting fellow students to run for safety. "Yuna enter o-o-o-h," she invited other students. Then students are seen running very fast into their residence for safety as scores of security men followed them behind with batons. They caught some married women and hit them severely. "They go kill we that married woman them, I swear," the camera women lamented. A woman is drawn from her house and mercilessly hit by the security officers. "Pour les hommes faire les descendre," an order is given in French to bring out all men. "Faire descendre tout les hommes," the order is repeated for emphasis. A boy is removed from his house and the French-speaking security officers hit his head with their batons.

"Amenez-le, ca va," an order is given and the boy is held from his belt.

The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa [36] reported that at least 14 student hostels were attacked that day. More than 140 rooms were vandalized, their occupants tortured on the Buea (Molyko) main boulevard, and some students were asked to sing that "an Anglophone will never rule the country." Even though most students were finally released, several of them spent 3 days in detention facilities in overcrowded cell conditions, with little or no communication with their families.

#### **5.3 The molestation of the general public**

The video Bamenda in turmoil today December, 2006, part 1 [37] shows a group of predominantly young men lamenting because a police had shot one of the protesters who wore a t-shirt with white and red lines on it, stained by blood and mud. He lay helplessly in the hands of his comrades.

"Oh my God, wait, wait. Bring he s-o, hold i hand," they held him and he dangled in their hands while those around him lamented.

The video This is Bamenda [38] shows a group of young men carrying peace plants and marching very fast in a street in Bamenda. They were carrying a dead young man to the main street in Bamenda called the Commercial Avenue. The commentator said "Bamenda is turning into something else," which means that many people are dying in Bamenda, and then he calls on "BBC, CNN and Alzeera, you guys need to support us, people are dying," he said. The spectators and the participants shouted and lamented.

"Y-e-e-u-h Bamenda, Bamenda, Bamenda, Bamenda," he shouted several times.

"w-e–e–e-h massa," he shouted several times again. Then the dead man is shown with a blue band that fastened him to the stick he was tied. He is being carried away by other young men marching very fast and singing: "Amba, Amba, Ambazonia." It means they identify themselves more with Ambazonia than Cameroon.

**157**

ing of villagers."

**6.1 The consequences of the war**

*6.1.1 Arbitrary arrests and detentions*

*Uprising and Human Rights Abuses in Southern Cameroon-Ambazonia*

regions with Internet access for business or information.

declared war on the Anglophone separatists Sun Newspaper [42].

The various videos incriminated Cameroon security forces and therefore as a result as [27] shows Cameroon experienced its first Internet shutdown in January 2017 for 93 days. It came after Anglophone teachers, lawyers, and students went on strike over alleged social bias in favor of Francophones. Education, financial, and health-care institutions as well as businesses that relied on Internet access were stunted. International bodies applied pressure on the government to restore Internet access. Despite Internet access being restored in April 2017, there were continuing reports of network instability. In October 2017, the government effected a second Internet blockade, targeting social media and apps such as Whatsapp and Facebook where such videos as those described above were sent. It continuously affected the country economically, and many citizens were forced to travel back and forth to

Two weeks into the protests, more than 100 protesters were arrested, and six were reported dead [39]. Throughout September, separatists carried out two bombings: one targeting security forces in Bamenda Quartz Africa [40], and while the first bombing failed, the second injured three policemen Reuter [41]. On September, 22, Cameroonian soldiers opened fire on protesters, killing at least five and injuring many more [40]. On November 30, 2017, the president of Cameroon

"I have learned with emotion the assassination of four Cameroonians military and two policemen in the South of our country --- things must henceforth be clear. Cameroon is victim of repetitive attacks claiming a secessionist movement. Facing these aggression acts, I would reassure Cameroonians that everything has been put in place to take out of the dark these criminals so that peace and security reigns all over the territory." This marked the start of a very violent confrontation between

Non-state actors, including local armed groups, also bear much responsibility for the violence. Separatist militias are battling government forces as well as progovernment "self-defense" forces that consist of what separatists term criminal gangs who are terrorizing local inhabitants and wreaking havoc. The military also conducts a deliberate violent campaign against civilian population. Lawyer Right Watch Canada [43], "There is evidence that much of the violence is intentional and planned, including retaliation attacks on villages by government security forces, often followed by indiscriminate shooting into crowds of civilians, invasion of private homes and the murder of their inhabitants, and the rounding up and shoot-

According to the International Crisis Group, at least 1850 people have been killed

The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa [44] reports that in early January 2017, the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (Consortium

since 2017; the ICG reports that at least 235 soldiers and police officers and 650 civilians, and close to 1000 separatists have lost their lives; and Anglophone federal-

ists estimate 3000–5000 dead, and separatists estimate 5000–10,000 dead.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91053*

**5.4 Internet shutdown**

**6. The Ambazonian war**

government forces and armed separatists.
