The academic year for 2023/2024 have been marked by serious human rights violations on education and the civilian population in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. While the education sector in French speaking regions continue to operate, unfortunately not the case in Anglophone regions, where armed separatist groups and the Cameroon authorities continue to use the education sector for political gains in the sixth year of the Anglophone conflict. The past years have recorded serious attacks on education and brave persons who try to beat these odds, often end up being maimed, kidnapped, or killed.

The Education Situation in the Northwest and Southwest Regions

On 7 September 2023, three unarmed civilians were killed, and two cars burnt, this attack was perpetrated by armed separatist fighters to reinforce a two-week lockdown imposed by separatist fighters, as an attempt to stifle school resumption of the 2023/2023 academic year, in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon.

For the past six years, school doors have remained closed in the Anglophone regions, as non-state armed groups continue to enforce a ban on school attendance. In areas where schools manage to operate, insecurity due to deadly skirmishes carried out on school premises continue to scare parents from sending their children to school. In the 2021/2022 academic year, Fonyuy Dora a pupil of Saint Theresa nursery and primary school, lost her life in an attack between armed separatist groups and state forces, in her school premises in Kumbo, Bui Division of the Northwest region, on May 24, 2022. The killing of Dora was preceded by a series of other attacks against school children and learning premises, including the IED attack at Amphitheatre 600 of the University of Buea by armed separatist groups.

What diplomatic missions have to say!

On July 11 2022, the united nations office of the general representative for the secretary general for children in armed conflict issued a statement on grave violations against children in the conflict affected Far North, South West and North West regions of Cameroon, stating that, 174 violations have occurred including 22 attacks against schools and hospitals, 55 abductions and 75 killings and maiming, of these violations, 80 took place in the North West and South West of Cameroon.

On February 15 2022, the representatives of diplomatic missions in Cameroon, including Canada, Norway, South African, UK and USA, issued a joint statement on the right to education in Cameroon, reiterating that children have the right to education and their education will be vital in ensuring the continued vibrancy in the Anglophone communities in the North West and South West regions.

These attacks on schools underscore the fact that educational institutions have remained a target throughout the Anglophone crisis, since 2016. However, CHRDA (Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa) has been able to document the following violations from January to June 2023 in the Northwest and Southwest regions. 116 people killed, 214 cases of arbitrary arrest, 5 cases of rape, 100 cases of attacks and injuries, 189 cases of torture by state forces, 98 kidnapped victims, 32 cases of inhumane and degrading treatment and 1 case of enforced disappearance.

Peace and Security Initiative for conflict resolution and prevention by CHRDA

As the conflict situation of the North West, South West and Far North Continue to escalate, CHRDA is implementing a project on peace and security, following the significant increase of human rights violations, attacks on education and other sectors within these conflict regions in Cameroon, CHRDA is exploring new avenues for peace resolution and conflict prevention, by facilitating a negotiation process with the Cameroon government and critical stakeholders, which involves a mapping process of identifying key actors and CSO (Civil Society Organizations), whom the state respects, with the capacity to initiate and drive dialogue with the state on finding solutions to the conflict affected Far North, South West and North West regions of Cameroon.
CHRDA urges all stakeholders and parties involved in the conflicts in Cameroon, to respect international conventions protecting children’s right to education within conflict settings.