The Commonwealth yesterday condemned the killing of 23 people in Cameroon’s northwest region. A village in the southern part of Cameroon was attacked last Friday, leaving 23 civilians, especially children dead.

Condemning the attack, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland called for an impartial investigation into the incident.

The statement, which was signed by Scotland’s media aide, Temitope Kalejaiye, quoted the Secretary-General as saying: “I strongly condemn the recent killings of civilians, including women and children in the North-West of Cameroon on 14 February 2020.

“We noted the government’s announcement that there would be a full investigation into the incident. We encourage the government to conduct an impartial investigation, for perpetrators to be held accountable and for results to be made public.

“The Commonwealth strongly condemns all forms of violence, and in particular, the loss of lives of innocent civilians including women and children.

“Cameroon is a noted member of the Human Rights Council and as such we are minded of General Comment 13 to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to freedom from all forms of violence which is underscored by the understanding that no violence against children is justifiable, all violence against children is preventable.

“I continue to convey these concerns to the government of Cameroon, and the Commonwealth stands ready to support solutions that will address the root causes of this conflict.”

Cameroon, Africa’s bilingual country, has since 2016 battled insurrection arising from agitations for self determination by its southern region, a former British colony, a demand the President Paul Biya led government considered treasonous.

Source: The Nation