For some time it was speculated by some local media organs as well as on social media that the Doctors Without Borders group were secretly using their influence in the two troubled Anglophone regions as untouchables to transport guns and other weapons to separatists.
The international medical humanitarian NGO has been working with Cameroon for over 35 years and have been particularly very active in the Northwest and Southwest regions since 2018. The Doctors Without Borders have handled critical medical cases of civilians caught up in the crisis from almost all the areas of the two regions, which suddenly led to the widespread rumour of them collaborating with the separatists in the Northwest Region, an allegation which also led the organization to get its operations in the North West region suspended till further notice.
In the face of these allegations, the management of Doctors Without Borders in Cameroon has published a statement to reject this allegation.
“Doctors Without Borders categorically rejects the allegations of having provided support for the separatist fighters in the Northwest…we have never facilitated the transport of arms, ammunition or armed combatants and have never provided logistical or financial support to any of the parties to the ongoing crisis.”
The statement maintained that the group has always worked in conformity with the rules and have done nothing to jeopardize the interest of both parties, but have rather focused on the well-being of the citizens that have been caught up in the midst of the raging conflict.
As a matter of fact, the Doctors Without Borders have equally sounded out the serious security challenges which they have faced as they navigate through to these regions.
“In particular we disclose serious violations of humanitarian principles including harassments, death threats, ambulance being fired upon, carjackings, excessive delays at checkpoints while transporting critically ill patients and even the murder of community health worker in the Southwest,” they mentioned.
The Doctors Without Borders therefore have pledged on all stakeholders of the defamatory statements to cease the allegations with immediate effect. They have also used the opportunity to call for a lifting of the suspension of their activities from the Northwest Region.
