Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Cameroonian counterpart on the civil rights of members of the Anglophone community in that country.

The promotion of human rights in Cameroon remains an important priority of the British Government. Human rights violations and abuses lead to unstable, less prosperous and undemocratic societies.

During my visit in February I met the Prime Minister and the Ministers of External Relations where I reinforced the necessity of adhering to international human rights standards in a challenging security environment. During the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London this year, I and Ministerial colleagues pressed our Cameroon counterparts for urgent action to resolve the dispute and associated violence. The High Commissioner to Cameroon has raised our concerns with the authorities and has met with opposition groups and human rights defenders.