An ecumenical statement has been released by UK Church leaders on the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Bishops of Southwark and Chichester have joined with other church leaders in a joint statement on the genocide going on in Southern Cameroons.

Bishops Christopher Chessun and Martin Warner, together with senior Methodist and Roman Catholic leaders, have called on the international community to respond.

We hear the cry of our sisters and brothers in Cameroon’s Anglophone region, who are facing daily violations of their human dignity. Recent reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention and attacks on civilians demand a response from the international community. We call on the UK government to work with other European countries on robust diplomatic action to halt the violence and help bring about a negotiated settlement that protects the rights all Cameroon’s people. We also express our closeness to the churches that are working with local communities to reject violence and pursue the path of dialogue, and we assure them that they have not been forgotten.

Revd Richard Teal, President of the Methodist Conference

Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, Lord Bishop of Southwark, Church of England Lead Bishop for International Affairs

Rt Rev Declan Lang, Catholic Bishop of Clifton, Chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Department of International Affairs

Carolyn Lawrence, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference

Rt Rev Martin Warner, Lord Bishop of Chichester (companion link to the Anglican Diocese of Cameroon)

Rt Rev Philip Egan, Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth (twinned with the Catholic Diocese of Bamenda)