Cameroon Government Cracks

June 15, 1990 CAMEROON GOVERNMENT CRACKS DOWN ON DEMANDS FOR MULTIPARTY SYSTEM: Seven Killed; Journalists and Students Arrested; "Douala Ten" Tried At a time of growing demands for citizens. democratization throughout West Africa, the government of President Paul Biya is conducting a SEVEN KILLED AT RALLY FOR NEW POLITICAL crackdown against those calling for a multiparty PARTY system in Cameroon. The government's campaign began with the arrest in February of ten prominent On Saturday, May 26, at least seven people citizens -- later dubbed "the Douala Ten" -- who were killed in clashes between demonstrators and tried to form an alternative political party, and security forces at a rally in support of a newly- has culminated thus far in the killing of seven formed political party, the Social Democratic Front people at a rally for a new political party on May (SDF). Reports indicate that several thousand people 26. In addition, a number of journalistjournalistss who gathered in Bamenda, in the northwestern part of reported on the debate about the oneone----partyparty system the country, to take part in the rally that had been have been detained, and lawyers who helped defend announced earlier in the month, despite government "The Douala Ten" have been harassed; one was killed warnings that the meeting would be considered by police under suspicious circumstances. illegal. In anticipation of the rally, government troops were sent to the Bamenda area in the Africa Watch is very concerned about the preceding days, and roadblocks were set up. government's eeffortsfforts to silence those demanding an end to oneone----partyparty rule, and calls on the government of Cameroon to adhere to internationallyinternationally----acceptedaccepted human rights standards. Recent developments in CamerooCameroonn raise serious questions about the Biya government's respect for the human rights of its According to the government radio, the President Ahmadou Ahidjo, Cameroon's president since demonstrators were trampled to death; however, independence in 1960. Ahidjo's party, the Union reliable reports indicate that the security forces Nationale Camerounaise (UNC), was the RDPC's fired tear gas and live ammunition at the crowd. precursor. There have been no recent efforts to gain Fighting between the security forces and SDF recognition for alternative political parties in supporters apparently continued into the night. Cameroon, since attempts by the Union des Populations Camerounais (UPC), the banned opposition On March 16, the SDF had applied for group, were rebuffed in 1985. official recognition as a political party. The SDF leaders announced that if they received no response Journalists Arrested in Connection with SDF Rally from the government within two months, they would consider themselves legally constituted as a On May 25, Paddy Mbawa, the editor-in-chief political party. As of May 16, the SDF application of the Cameroon Post, was detained for being in remained unanswered. possession of an SDF press release about the planned rally on May 25. Jerome Gwellen, editor-in- Theoretically, political pluralism is chief of Cameroon Outlook, was detained on May 27 permitted in Cameroon. Article 3 of the Constitution for possessing the same press release. Gwellen was states: released on June 1; Mbawa was released on June 6. "(1) Political parties and groups On May 26, Pius Njawe, the editor-in-chief may take part in elections. They of Le Messager, was detained in Bamenda while he shall be formed and shall exercise was covering the SDF rally. He was held for about their activities in accordance with an hour before being released. the law. Two issues of Le Messager -- April 24 and (2) Such parties shall be bound to May 22 -- were banned: the first banning respect the principles of apparently related to an article about the democracy and of national prospects for a multiparty system in Cameroon; the sovereignty and unity." second related to an article about the amnesty for those political prisoners who had been involved in In reality, however, Cameroon is a one-party the 1984 coup attempt (see below), and another state controlled by the Rassemblement Democratique article about the detention of ten Cameroon Radio du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC)/Cameroon Peoples' and Television journalists (see below). Democratic Movement (CPDM), under the presidency of Paul Biya. In 1982, Biya was handed the presidency by The Cameroon Post was banned in mid-May without explanation. Prior to the reported banning, Students Arrested At SDF Rally the paper had published an interview with Ni John Fru Ndi, the head of the SDF; a letter by Albert Also on May 26, students at the University Mukong, a writer who was recently tried and of Yaounde held a rally in support of the SDF. acquitted as part of the "Douala Ten" (see below); Information indicates that some 3,000 students took and a report on the detention of ten journalists part in the demonstration, and approximately 200- with Cameroon Radio and Television (see below). 300 were arrested. Although many were released News From Africa Watch 2 June 15, 1990 after a short period, Africa Watch has been unable statement denying that the reason for the arrests to confirm that all have been released. was their efforts to form a political party, claiming instead that they were arrested for "the holding of clandestine meetings; the fabrication and "THE DOUALA TEN": POLITICAL TRIAL FOR distribution of tracts hostile to the regime, abusive EFFORTS TO FORM ALTERNATIVE POLITICAL of the President and inciting revolt." The "hostile" tracts included a draft founding document for a new PARTY political party. Accordingly, despite the government's statements to the contrary, this new From March 30 to April 5, ten Cameroonians party was being effectively banned. went on trial (plus one who was tried in absentia) on charges of "subversion," under Ordinance No. 62- At the time of their arrest, the defendants of-18 of March 12, 1962, apparently for their efforts were trying to form a political party comprising to form an alternative political party. Three of them two new groups: the Mouvement national pour la were sentenced to prison terms: Yondo Black, a democratie (MND), a Francophone opposition movement lawyer and former president of the Cameroon Bar led by Yondo Black; and the Social Democratic Front Association, received three years; Anicet Ekane, a (SDF), an anglophone group led by Albert Mukong. company director, four years; and Jean-Michel Tekam Shortly after the government's March 13 statement, (tried in absentia), five years. Ekane was also the SDF took advantage of the government's denial convicted of "insulting the President," under Article that the arrests related to their efforts to form a 153 of the Penal Code. Two-year suspended sentences political party and applied to register officially as were given to Charles Rene Djon Djon and Rodolphe a party. Bwanga, and the rest were acquitted (Albert Mukong, Henriette Ekwe, Gabriel Hamani, Francis Kwa Among those arrested were: Moutome, Vincent Fekom and Julienne Badje). On March 13, the government released a Yondo BlackBlack, a prominent lawyer, for criticizing the government, was former President of the Cameroon Bar arrested in Bamenda on February 26. Association and member of the International All the defendants were transferred to Association of African Lawyers, was Douala, where they were held at the offices of the arrested by the security police (the Centre security police, known as the Brigade Mixte Mobile. national d'etude et de recherches -- CENER) They were denied access to lawyers, and most were on February 19. After a search of his office, denied family visits. Two of the detainees, Anicet which some considered to have been illegal, Ekane and Henriette Ekwe, were reportedly tortured documents relating to a new political party or ill-treated during detention. were taken. There is also serious concern about Black's health; he has suffered cardiac The detainees were not immediately charged, problems since he was assaulted in which raised fears that they would be held without December 1988. charge or trial for a prolonged period -- not an uncommon situation for political prisoners in Albert MukongMukong, a writer who had Cameroon. According to the emergency laws that been detained without trial for six years in have existed in Cameroon since 1961, those suspected the 1970s and again from June 1988-May 1989 of subversion can be held by the security police in News From Africa Watch 3 June 15, 1990 "administrative detention" without charge or trial meetings, distributed tracts for two-month periods, which can be renewed. criticizing the government, etc., According to the penal code, administrative etc. Then the question one must ask detention constitutes "the loss of liberty for a is why should they have to resort political felony or misdemeanor." In recent years, to holding their meetings in a administrative detention has been used in a variety of clandestine fashion and to cases involving government critics, outspoken criticize the government with journalists and supporters of the banned opposition anonymous tracts when the right to party, the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC). hold meetings and to form associations is guaranteed in our Lawyers From Bar Association Act in Solidarity constitution, as well as in the International Charter of Human On March 27, the head of Cameroon's Bar Rights and in the African Association, Bernard Muna, gave a courageous speech Charter....The response to this before a special meeting of the Bar criticizing the question is simple: in Cameroon violations of human rights in Cameroon and calling during the last 25 years, citizens on the Bar Association to defend these rights. who have dared to exercise their rights have been arrested, tortured "Let us suppose that the 10 and detained." detainees actually held clandestine In protest against the detention of Yondo The circumstances surrounding his death are Black and the others, more than 200 lawyers from still unclear.

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