Human rights in Cameroon

Human rights in Cameroon are addressed in the constitution. However, the 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted concerns in regard to election irregularities, security forces torture and arbitrary arrests., 2009 U.S Dept of State Human Rights Report: Cameroon

Issues A 2002 report by the UK charity Freedom from Torture said that "The prevalence of torture in Cameroon was such as to warrant a country visit from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture in 1999. He described the use of torture in Cameroon as 'widespread and systematic.'"Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture (2002), "'Every Morning Just Like Coffee'" . full report

In its 2012 Annual Review, Freedom from Torture stated that they had received 33 referrals for torture survivors from Cameroon for clinical treatment or other services.

Amnesty International reported concerns about violence by security forces. In 2009, around 100 civilians were killed during demonstrations.Cameroon: A catalogue of human rights abuses, Amnesty International

In April 2010, Germain Cyrille Ngota Ngota, the editor of the Cameroun Express, died in custody at Kondengui Central Prison. He had been jailed pending trial in February 2010 along with the editors of two other newspapers, for the alleged "joint forgery" of the signature of a presidential official. One of the editors said that the document in question had merely been attached to an interview request, whilst the journalist who had originated the document was on the run.Reporters without Borders, 20 April 2010, Health of three journalists deteriorating in Kondengui prison "The Federation of African Journalists after visiting the country described Cameroon in May 2010 as 'one of the worst jailers of journalists in Africa'."Federation of African Journalists report

As of 2020, Cameroon "currently prosecutes consensual same sex conduct more aggressively than almost any country in the world".

On 27 June 2022, the Human Rights Watch reported that the armed separatist fighters killed and injured people, raped a girl, and committed other grave human rights abuses across Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. The separatists also burned schools, attacked universities, and kidnapped up to 82 people, with no apparent fear of being held to account by either their own leaders or Cameroonian law enforcement.

In March 2024, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced “intense repression” by the Cameroonian government against the opposition, after the government of Paul Biya declared the grouping of its main parties in two platforms “illegal”.

Historical situation The following table gives Cameroon's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A score of 1 is "most free" and 7 is "least free". Historical ratings YearPolitical RightsCivil LibertiesStatusPresident 197264 Partly Free Ahmadou Ahidjo 197364Partly Free Ahmadou Ahidjo  197464Partly FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 197564Partly FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 197675Not FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 197765Not FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 197866Not FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 197966Not FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 198066Not FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 198166Not FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 198266Not FreeAhmadou Ahidjo 198366Not FreePaul Biya 198467Not FreePaul Biya 198567Not FreePaul Biya 198666Not FreePaul Biya 198766Not FreePaul Biya 198866Not FreePaul Biya 198966Not FreePaul Biya 199066Not FreePaul Biya 199166Not FreePaul Biya 199265Not FreePaul Biya 199365Not FreePaul Biya 199465Not FreePaul Biya 199575Not FreePaul Biya 199675Not FreePaul Biya 199775Not FreePaul Biya 199875Not FreePaul Biya 199976Not FreePaul Biya 200076Not FreePaul Biya 200166Not FreePaul Biya 200266Not FreePaul Biya 200366Not FreePaul Biya 200466Not FreePaul Biya 200566Not FreePaul Biya 200666Not FreePaul Biya 200766Not FreePaul Biya 200866Not FreePaul Biya 200966Not FreePaul Biya 201066Not FreePaul Biya 201166Not FreePaul Biya 201266Not FreePaul Biya 201366Not FreePaul Biya 201466Not FreePaul Biya

International treaties Cameroon's stances on international human rights treaties are as follows:

International treaties Treaty Organization Introduced Signed Ratified Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide United Nations1948-- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination United Nations1966-1971 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights United Nations1966-1984 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights United Nations1966-1984 First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights United Nations1966-1984 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity United Nations1968-1972 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid United Nations1973-1976 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women United Nations197919831994 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment United Nations1984-1986 Convention on the Rights of the Child United Nations198919901993 Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty United Nations1989-- International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families United Nations19902009- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women United Nations1999-2005 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict United Nations20002001- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography United Nations20002001- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities United Nations20062008- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities United Nations20062008- International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance United Nations20062007- Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights United Nations2008-- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure United Nations2011--

See also

Freedom of religion in Cameroon Human trafficking in Cameroon Internet censorship and surveillance in Cameroon LGBT rights in Cameroon

Notes 1.Note that the "Year" signifies the "Year covered". Therefore the information for the year marked 2008 is from the report published in 2009, and so on. 2.As of January 1. 3.The 1982 report covers the year 1981 and the first half of 1982, and the following 1984 report covers the second half of 1982 and the whole of 1983. In the interest of simplicity, these two aberrant "year and a half" reports have been split into three year-long reports through interpolation.

References

External links 2012 Annual Report, by Amnesty International Freedom in the World 2011 Report, by Freedom House