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The fate of prisoners in Cameroon remains uncertain as the world takes stringent measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID 19 pandemic .
According to Dr. Ako John Ako “prisons in Cameroon have always been over crowded since the beginning of the regime of president Paul Biya. We have always called for measures to decongest prisons to no avail. But with the outbreak of COVID 19, by refusing to release these prisoners government is planting a health time bomb “.
To the political analyst it will be disastrous if a prisoner is tested positive of COVID 19. He explains that living conditions and the number of inmates in all prisons in Cameroon don’t give room for the measure of social distancing to be respected.
Dr. Ako John Ako takes a comparative analysis to show why it is necessary to let go people arrested and detain for minor crimes and those that have served a greater part of their sentence. “In Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Gabon and many other countries in the world, some prisoners have been set free as a measures to comprehensively fight against coronavirus”.
He explains that the government of Cameroon can “redeem” her image by releasing prisoners. “The government of Cameroon is noted for doing things late. We have more than 800 coronavirus cases in Cameroon today government shutdown the borders when infected persons had already entered the country”.
On Monday April 13th 2020, there was tension at the Kondengui prison suspected to have links with a supposed death of some inmates as a result of COVID 19. Authorities have not issued any official statement on the issue.
Mimi Mefo Info.
