Biya’s Own Human Rights Commission Indicts Him: A Bad Signal for La Republique on the Eve of the UN General Assembly

At a critical time when the dying regime of Paul Biya is expected to be putting in place all necessary defenses to counter all accusations of Human Rights abuses against it at the UNGA on the 22nd of September, 2017, matters seem to be getting worse as the regime continue to receive heavy knocks on human rights abuses, with the latest coming from her own National Commission for Human Rights and Freedom (NCHF) in Yaounde.

In a Press Release, signed on the 15th September, 2017 by its Chairperson, Dr. Chemuta Divine Banda, the commission accused the Biya’s regime through its military of infringement of the law which obstruct the execution of the mission assigned to the Commission. Informed by the video of the BUNKER 12 and the last Report of Amnesty International indicting La Republique of grave human rights violations, Dr. Chemuta Banda, had on the 11th August 2017 informed the Government Commissioner of the Yaounde Military Court of the Commission’s plan to visit some detention facilities where the regime has been holding Southern Cameroonians and suspected Boko Haram detainees in horrible conditions. These detention facilities include; the Secretariat of State in Charge of Defense (SED), the General Directorate of External Research (DGRE) and the National Surveillance Directorate (DSTI).

Despite repeated reminders by the NCHF to the Government Commissioner of the Military Court, the regime has remained adamant to the request with the Government Commissioner explaining that he has not received authorization from hierarchy to do so. With such a response, one is temped to ask the following rhetorical questions; who is hierarchy? Isn’t it Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Defense in Charge of the Gendarmerie, the Minister of Defense etc? Are they not appointed by and answerable to Paul Biya himself? Why are they afraid of their own Human Rights Commission visiting their detention facilities? Is it because the head of the Commission Dr. Chemuta Banda is a Southern Cameroonian and so may not write a favourable report about the regime’s treatment of Southern Cameroonians in their dirty detention facilities?

It is important to note that in addition to the Report of Amnesty International indicting La Republique’s military of brutality and extra judicial killings of Southern Cameroonians and suspected Boko Haram detainees, the US Senate, last week passed a resolution giving the La Republique’s government a 30 day ultimatum to explain the allegations of human rights violations levied against it by Southern Cameroonians. This was after a Senate hearing on the issue facilitated by the Foly Hoag Law Firm.

On Friday, 22nd September, 2017, Mr. Biya is expected to address the UNGA amidst a show down by determined Southern Cameroonians at home and in the diaspora. The regime’s delegation to the UN doesn’t even portray the octogenarian dictator as a man ready to open any form of dialogue with Southern Cameroonians. The delegation is completely void of any sound but compromised Southern Cameroonian, apart from the New Bell ex-convict and form three drop out, Paul Atanga Nji, who believes that there is no Anglophone Problem and so no place for Common Law in the Cameroons. With the Latest missiles coming from the regime’s own National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, the old dictator may just be making a joke of himself on that day in the name of a speech.

By Agbor James

BaretaNews Political Analyst

Buea, Southern Cameroons