Cameroon: Peace Negotiations

(asked on 8th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the Commonwealth in promoting peace and reconciliation between the Anglophone and Francophone Communities in Cameroon; and what discussions have taken place (1) within the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, and (2) with the government of Cameroon, on that issue.


Answered by
Baroness Sugg Portrait
Baroness Sugg
This question was answered on 21st September 2020

The UK Government is deeply concerned about the situation in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, which is affecting both Anglophone and Francophone communities. We welcomed the joint visit to Cameroon in November 2019 by the Commonwealth Secretary General, the Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. They met the President of Cameroon and a range of political and civil society actors and encouraged peacebuilding and national cohesion. As we set out at the UN Security Council on 8 September, the UK continues to encourage international partners and multilateral organisations, including the Commonwealth, to support efforts to end violence and restore peace in the affected regions.

While the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) is a confidential forum, the Commonwealth Secretary General typically provides members with updates on engagement in Commonwealth member states. CMAG provides a space for sensitive discussions, which in turn facilitate discreet engagement. On that principle, we are not able to comment on the nature or substance of its discussions.

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