Barrister Akere Muna, former President of the Cameroon Bar Association has stated that the voluntary suspension of access to the Internet in the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon constitutes a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Southern Cameroons have been deprived of the Internet since January 17, 2017. The suspension of this valuable communication tool was decided by the Francophone led government to combat the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

For Akere Muna, the shutdown of internet services is a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Akere observed that the United Nations had passed a resolution that called on member states promote and facilitate access to the Internet and international cooperation with a view to the development of the media and information and Communication in all countries.

The renowned Akere Muna was recently summoned to the Secretary of State for Defense in charge of the Gendarmerie and interrogated over his firm stance on the Southern Cameroons crisis.  The closure of Internet network in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon has as main consequence in a bid to silence Anglophone Cameroonians has seriously compromised their means of subsistence.

Akere mentioned in particular financial losses estimated to date to more than one million dollar and the harm suffered by many entrepreneurs including those of the Silicon Mountain that are the pride of the nation.  The man of law concluded that it was time for Cameroon to honor its international commitments by urgently restoring the Internet in these two regions of Cameroon.

By Eyong Johnson