Maurice Kamto: Militarization of residence or house arrest?

The president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party has denounced the “militarization” of his residence and arrest of two of his guards by the government security service.

Prof. Maurice Kamto and family have been confined in their residence in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon since the 20th of September 2020, a top official of the opposition political party has told Mimi Mefo Info.

In video broadcast on Equinoxe TV, a local television channel in Cameroon Monday September 28th 2020, Maurice Kamto says “The regime has placed heavily armed military men around my compound, forbidding me and any member of my family from going out. What if someone is critically sick here and demands emergency health care? It took my lawyers a whole lot to obtain permission from the delegate general in charge of national security and other officials for them to enter my residence to see me.This is gross violation of human rights”.

Tayong Fah Elvis, deputy communication secretary of Cameroon Renaissance Movement party says the regime has been in a safari of human right violation in Cameroon.

“Government has been spreading rumors that what is going on is a house arrest but that is not how it is done. Maurice Kamto was not officially informed of such a thing. Military men cannot just invade the residence of a personality forcing him and family members not to go out.This is dictatorship but that would not deter Cameroonians who want a political transition that will put in place a government which would be accountable to the people” he says.

According to Barrister Ashuh Emmanuel, member of Cameroon Bar Association, what is going on at the residence of Professor Maurice Kamto is not a house arrest according to the law.

The legal mind says “Article 246 of Cameroon criminal procedure code stipulates that it is only the magistrate that has the competence to issues a house arrest warrant .This means that the person concern must be served a written notice explaining the house arrest.”
The senior barrister describes what is going on as “judicial surveillance”.

CRM party militants in Cameroon and beyond say the militarization of the residence of Prof. Maurice Kamto was to frustrate the nationwide protest of September 22nd 2020.

At the moment, lawyers defending Maurice Kamto are still battling to secure the freedom of their client and his family members compelled by the military on the instructions of the regime to remain in their compound.

Mbatho Ntan.