A week after the Ngarbuh massacre in the North West region, pressure has intensified on not only the government but also on foreign bodies to out an end to the war.
Condemning the incident that left over 35 dead including pregnant women and children, the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations says it “is the most blatant demonstration yet of crimes against humanity and genocide against Southern Cameroonians”.
“Per eye witness reports, soldiers visited the village in the early hours of Valentine’s Day and proceeded to sequentially slaughter citizens, burning down their homes and burning some alive. By the end of this massacre at least 35 people were confirmed dead including, as confirmed by the United Nations, 15 children and two heavily pregnant women” the Coalition states.
“While this massacre, like the previous ones, has received worldwide condemnation and the sympathy of the international community” the Coalition states, it “strongly believes it’s time for world leaders to take concrete actions to end this armed conflict and prevent further degeneration of an already dire humanitarian situation”.
“The Coalition strongly urges the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Gutteres, to convene an emergency Security Council meeting to directly address the root causes of this conflict” its statement reads.
“The Coalition also urges the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, the German Federation, Canada, France and most especially the African Union, to take a more proactive role in seeking a permanent negotiated solution that addresses the root causes of this armed conflict” it adds.
Reiterating its stance for “an inclusive third-party mediated negotiation that addresses the root causes of the conflict, as the only sustainable means of resolving the Southern Cameroons conflict”, the Coalition says “believes that the International Conference on the Armed Conflict in the Southern Cameroons, scheduled for March 19-21, 2020 in Washington DC would constitute a step in the right direction.”
The request comes days after the UN urged the Cameroon government to not only investigate the Ngarbuh massacre, but ensure witnesses are protected and those responsible held accountable.
MMI
