Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the government of Cameroon on French-speaking judges presiding in courts in the English-speaking north-west and south-west regions of Cameroon.

The British High Commission in Yaoundé is following the situation closely and has called for restraint and encouraged dialogue. The High Commissioner chaired a meeting with the US, French, Canadians and the EU on 1 December to discuss this matter. The UK supports the independent investigation by the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms into the violence and deaths in Bamenda. The UK believes that all parties have a responsibility to uphold and protect the peace and stability of Cameroon and that legal and peaceful means should be used to voice any grievances. The violence has abated and we hope for a swift and peaceful resolution of this matter.