By Nik Harris and M. M. Shaw
International human rights organizations have condemned ongoing attacks on Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme (NDH), a human rights organization based in Cameroon. In mid-January, unidentified individuals broke into NDH’s offices in Yaoundé, taking away essential documents and office equipment. The looted materials included laptops and desktop computers, hard drives, projectors, video cameras, and other data storage devices.
The International Peace Bureau (IPB) and other human rights groups have condemned the incident, and called on authorities in Cameroon to thoroughly investigate the attack and hold perpetrators to account.
“We strongly condemn this attack and call for a thorough investigation by the authorities to ensure accountability in Cameroon,” IPB said, adding that the incident highlights the growing threats faced by NGOs advocating for justice and freedom.
“It is a grave assault on human rights defenders and civil society in Cameroon,” they said, whilst urging Cameroonian authorities “to respect the rights of NGOs to operate free from fear and intimidation.”
“We stand in solidarity with NDH-Cameroon, and we reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of all human rights defenders in the face of such challenges,” they stated.
Established some 20 years ago, NDH defends human rights and promote rule of law in Cameroon, according to its mission statement. The recent attack on NHD’s offices in Yaoundé followed reported harassment of the organization’s key members, including its executive director, Cyrille Roland Bechon.
Bechon is a specialist in transitional justice and conflict resolution, and has been working for NDH since 2003. In addition to her work at N DH, Bechon has been at the center of human rights campaigns in Cameroon for more than 10 years. Months before the burglary incident, Bechon was subjected to a campaign of harassment and intimation from unidentified individuals.
Human rights defenders in Yaoundé believe NDH members were targeted because of their ongoing work to defend human rights, and advance rule of law in Cameroon.
“This burglary is yet another act of violence and harassment against human rights defenders in Cameroon,” they said.
NDH has since filed a formal complaint with police authorities in Cameroon calling for protection of its staff and investigation into the incident.
“Our complaint calls on relevant authorities to do everything in their power to shed light on this odious act,” they said, adding that “no form of threat will undermine our determination to continue advocating for the respect of human rights in Cameroon.”
Police in Cameroon could not disclose what progress they have made in the investigation when contacted by Africanist Press.