Cameroon: Armed Conflict

(asked on 26th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when the British High Commissioner to the Cameroon last visited Kumba in the Southwest Region of that Country; what plans there are for another visit in order to assess the human rights situation following the attack on primary school children at a school in that city; and what steps they intend to take to restart the peace process in the Cameroon between government and armed militia groups.


Answered by
Baroness Sugg Portrait
Baroness Sugg
This question was answered on 3rd November 2020

The Government remains deeply concerned about the situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon including reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and security forces. We are appalled by the attack on the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba, Cameroon, on 24 October and the horrific killing of innocent children. We offer our condolences to the families of those affected. The British High Commissioner to Cameroon publicly condemned the attack on 24 October, and on 25 October the Minister for Africa publicly called for the perpetrators of this vile act to be held accountable, reiterating that every child has the right to a safe education. The British High Commissioner to Cameroon regularly visits the South-West region, and remains in close contact with a range of groups affected by the crisis.

We continue to call for restraint, an end to the violence and inclusive dialogue about the root causes of the crisis. The Minister for Africa has committed to visiting Cameroon in the coming few months and will again raise the Government's concerns about the crisis directly with the Government of Cameroon. The UK has shared experiences of conflict resolution with the Government, 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.

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