Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department and the diplomatic service are taking with (a) the Government of Cameroon and (b) President Biya to find a peaceful settlement to the conflict in that country.

The UK Government is deeply concerned about the situation the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon where high levels of violence have driven almost 740,000 people from their homes. The impact on civilians is tragic. Last month I [Minister Duddridge] announced £4.5 million in additional funding to humanitarian efforts in Cameroon, which will provide vulnerable people with vital food packs, sanitation provisions, medical supplies and fund training for health workers. This will bring our total humanitarian support to Cameroon to £13.5 million for 2020.

We continue to raise concerns about the crisis at the highest levels. In May I [Minister Duddridge] spoke to the Prime Minister of Cameroon and stressed the need for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. This message was reinforced by the British High Commissioner in Yaoundé when he spoke to President Biya in July, and to the Prime Minister of Cameroon in September, and urged the Government of Cameroon to engage in further, inclusive dialogue to address the root causes of the crisis. I [Minister Duddridge] have committed to visiting Cameroon soon and will again raise HMG's concerns about the crisis directly with the Government of Cameroon. The UK has shared experiences of conflict resolution with the Government of Cameroon, and through the British High Commission in Yaoundé we are also supporting local partners in their efforts to promote peace. We continue to urge all parties to remain engaged in ongoing Swiss-led efforts to facilitate talks and remain ready to support all credible peacebuilding efforts.