Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress in Cameroon in enhancing the security and human rights of Anglophone and Francophone communities in that country.

The British Government remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, which is affecting both Anglophone and Francophone communities. These regions suffer from high levels of violence, which has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

We continue to shine a spotlight on the crisis and raise our concerns on human rights at the highest levels, including with the Government of Cameroon, at the United Nations (UN), and with international partners. The Government of Cameroon convened a National Dialogue in October 2019, and legislation concerning bilingualism and special status for the North-West and South-West regions was passed in December. These are welcome initial steps forward. Commitments and legislation now need to be implemented in a timely manner to support genuine decentralisation of power and to tackle the root causes of the conflict. The UK has shared experiences on conflict resolution with the Government of Cameroon and remains ready to support all credible peacebuilding initiatives.