Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 22 May 2019 to Question 257452 on Cameroon: Politics and Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits on reducing security cooperation with the Cameroon government as a result of allegations of human rights abuses in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK is deeply concerned by reports of human rights violations and abuses in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon. The British Government was shocked by footage released in July 2018, although subsequently dated to 2015, showing alleged Boko Haram supporters being killed in northern Cameroon. I condemned these horrific killings in a public statement and urged the Government of Cameroon to ensure those responsible face justice. Seven soldiers have subsequently been arrested. The British Government continues to raise concerns about human rights violations and abuses at the highest levels, including at the UN Security Council on 4 June at a briefing of the UN Office for Central Africa. The UK along with Austria led a cross-regional statement raising concerns at the UN Human Rights Council in March. We welcome the recent visit to Cameroon by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Cameroon's reported openness to working with the UN to address the severe humanitarian situation and tackle violations and abuses of human rights. While the UK has a shared interest in cooperating with Cameroon in the fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, we continue to keep our cooperation under constant review.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK Government are providing security support or assistance to the Cameroonian Government in the form of (a) financial assistance, (b) security infrastructure, (c) military training and (d) weaponry.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK has a longstanding relationship with Cameroon and we value the shared history and cooperation. The UK and Cameroon cooperate closely in the fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, for which the UK provides limited military training. This training is provided in line with the UK Government's Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance and emphasises the importance of human rights. Cameroon remains a key and effective contributor to the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), established in 2015 to facilitate regional co-ordination of military operations against Boko Haram.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and humanitarian situation in Cameroon; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK continues to be deeply concerned at the worsening humanitarian situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon and the reports of human rights violations and abuses committed by both security forces and separatists. Violence is driving people from their homes, and impacting on the lives of ordinary civilians, particularly women and children. The UK is providing lifesaving assistance to 10,000 people in the Anglophone regions following a £2.5m contribution to UNICEF in December.
The British Government regularly raises concerns about the political, human rights, and humanitarian situation with the Government of Cameroon. Further to a phone call in March with Cameroon Prime Minister, Joseph Ngute, on 30 April, I met with the Cameroon High Commissioner to London to reiterate UK concerns. We discussed the plight of the 530,000 people who have been internally displaced within the Anglophone regions, the 32,000 refugees in Nigeria who have fled from the crisis, and the arrest and detention of Opposition Leader, Maurice Kamto and other political actors. I urged the Government of Cameroon to urgently take steps to establish a credible dialogue to tackle the root causes of the crisis in the Anglophone regions, and ensure fair and timely trial, or release, of detainees. The UK continues to call for unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations, and investigations into all reports of human rights violations and abuses. The UK and Austria delivered a joint statement with support from 37 countries on the deteriorating situation in Cameroon at the UN Human Rights Council in March, demonstrating the increasing concerns of the wider international community.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Cameroon about the summonses used against Cameroonian opposition members on charges carrying the death penalty before a military tribunal in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned about the arrest and detention of political actors in Cameroon, including members of the Opposition party, on charges which attract the death penalty. On 13 February the Minister for Africa raised the UK's concerns publicly. She underlined that trials, including of Opposition leader Maurice Kamto, must follow due process and that freedom of speech and political expression are integral to a democratic society. It is a longstanding policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. The UK is a strong supporter of the UN General Assembly Resolution for the moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK Government is taking to help support communities in Cameroon affected by the political situation in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK is deeply concerned about the situation in Cameroon and the deteriorating security situation in the Anglophone regions of the country. Today we have announced a £2m contribution to the humanitarian response in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon which will support 10,000 people in hard to reach areas with essential assistance including medical care and non-food items. The UK will continue to work alongside the international community to encourage and support efforts to resolve the Anglophone crisis.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Cameroonian counterpart on the decision by the Government of that country to refuse authorisation for the Anglophone General Conference which had been planned for 21-22 November 2018; and what information his Department holds on the reasons for that decision.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The UK supports calls for the Government of Cameroon to engage in a substantive dialogue with the Anglophone community to tackle the crisis in the Anglophone regions. In this regard we welcome the initiative of the Anglophone General Conference and those put forward by a range of religious groups to promote an inclusive process of national dialogue that addresses the core issues. The UK is deeply concerned at the deteriorating violence and displacement of civilians in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. It is vital the Government of Cameroon urgently initiates a meaningful dialogue.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the political situation in Cameroon and the violence following the re-election of President Paul Biya.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned about the situation in Cameroon and the deteriorating security situation in the Anglophone regions of the country. In her statement following elections in Cameroon, the Minister for Africa called for all parties to engage in a peaceful and structured process leading to constitutional reforms, as previously set out by the President, and to bring an end to the violence. The UK will continue to work alongside the international community to encourage and support efforts to resolve the Anglophone crisis.
Asked by: Joan Ryan (The Independent Group for Change - Enfield North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Commonwealth counterparts on the current political and human rights situation in Cameroon after the October elections in that that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
During the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London in April the then Foreign Secretary and I met Cameroonian counterparts, reminding them of the obligations placed upon Cameroon by the Commonwealth Charter. There have not been discussions with Commonwealth counterparts on the situation in Cameroon since Cameroon's elections in October.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the tensions between Anglophone and Francophone Cameroon; and what action they are taking to ease those tensions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The violence in the Anglophone regions has been generated as a result of perceived marginalisation of the Anglophone minority. The UK is deeply concerned at the deteriorating violence, deaths and displacement of people which has increased since the end of 2016, with severe effect on civilians. We are working closely with the wider international community, including the UN, to build as full and accurate a picture as possible. The UK continues to raise our concerns with the Government of Cameroon, to call for urgent action to solve this crisis. The UK calls for restraint and an end to violence on all sides.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Cameroon, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the Anglophone regions of the country and in the extreme north of the country, where Cameroon is fighting the terrorist group Boko Haram. The British Government welcomes the role Cameroon and its neighbours are playing in the campaign against Boko Haram. We call on the Government of Cameroon to take urgent action to address the Anglophone crisis and we hope that President Biya will reach out to all sections of Cameroonian society and work to build confidence and trust. In my statement of 23 October I reiterated that it is crucial for all parties to engage in a peaceful and structured process leading to constitutional reforms, as previously set out by the President, and avoid excessive use of force. The UK will continue to work alongside the international community to encourage and support efforts to resolve the Anglophone crisis.