ANTI-TERRORISM LAW AND ITS USE (Case Study Cameroon
By
Electa Shalo Manyimuchua
In Cameroon the Oppressive regime of President Paul Biya uses this law to silence political activists and forced the people into submission .
Under the leadership of president Paul Biya, of Cameroon continued to use the anti-terrorism law enacted in 2014 to suppress political critics and freedom of expression by arresting journalists and activists in connection with the ongoing crisis in the Anglophone regions.The separatist Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) which is demanding an independent Southern Cameroons made up of Cameroon’s North West and Southwest regions has been targeted under the new law.This law is use to forbid public meetings, streetprotests or any action that the government deem to be disturbing peace. The law also prescribes death penalty for persons who are suspected of involving in any activity which may trigger political dissent, especially the North West and South West regions.
The Anti-Terrorism law has triggered a wave of criticism from the media and the international community. Many believe that the law is not only intended to silence freedom of the press or speech, as its hidden intent is to target Southern Cameroonian groups such as Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), Ambazonian Defence Forces(ADF), Movement for the Restoration of Southern Cameroons (MRSC), Southern Cameroons Governing Council (SCGC), Ambazonian Governing Council (AGovC) andthe Southern Cameroon Public Affairs Committee (SCAPAC) etc.Specifically, the law is against fundamental liberties and Human Right of the Cameroonians, especially Southern Cameroonian political activists who are clamouringfor the independence of Southern Cameroon alais Ambazonia. The case ofSCNC National chairman Dr Nfor Ngala Nfor, Sissiku Ayuk Tabe, Barrister Agbor, Dr.Fontem Neba, Bibixy Mancho, Ngalim Felix and many other Anglophone activists is an illustration of how the law has been twisted since it was enacted
. This law twisted law shows itsnegative impact on Human Rights and Freedom vis-a-vis the exercise of Cameroon military court’s jurisdiction over civilian cases in Cameroon.In October 2019, the government released 333 low-level detainees arrested forsuspicion of being Anglophone separatists and facing misdemeanor charges. This was a charade to taie off some pressure from the international communities. However,hundreds of others remain in detention.
The government continued to arrest ordinary armless civilians and charged them for terriosm especially those from the Southern and Northern regions of the country . In August 2019, sentenced separatist leader Julius Ayuk Tabe and the Nera 10 to life imprisonment. Other activists such as Bibixy Mancho and Pen Terence are serving a15 years term. You also have the likes of Tsi Conrad a journalist who was arrested in Bamenda reporting on anti government protest on the 06/12/016l He has been incarcerated in the kondengui maximum prison under deplorable condition , He was sentenced for anti state charges (terrorism, secession, rebellion against the state ,propagation of false news )
As we speak thousands of Southern Cameroonians activists of the SCNC and other groups are incarcerated all over French Cameroon based on the 2014 Anti-Terrorismlaw. Many of them have been sentenced to 13-17 years.
In effect, the 2014 Anti-Terrorism law has significant deficiencies. For instance, the offences that constitute “act of terrorism” are not clearly defined by the same law.“Peaceful protesters have been arrested under terrorism laws and have been labelled terrorists while only exercising their unalienable human rights.
Anti-terrorism efforts have been too broad in scope at times, and as a result, the negative effects of terrorism efforts have been felt far too often by civilians.
One common theme is clear. Terrorism offenses should be narrowly defined and clearly limited to actual behaviour that is related to terrorism. Peaceful protests should be a positive reflection of the democratic values of a country and not wrongly condemned as terrorist acts”.Cameroon has since seen the acts of armed secessionist groups as acts of terrorism and launched several military crackdowns which has resulted to the death of hundreds of civilians.“
Anti-terrorism laws which are ambiguous and lack clarity can negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights. The government of Cameroon’s Law No. 2014/028 of 23rdDecember 2014 on the suppression of acts of terrorism in Cameroon has raised concerns from policy makers, activists and governments alike. Its potential infringement on important Human Rights and freedoms protected under the Cameroon Constitution and international human rights law was immediately signalled by the barrage of criticisms that followed its promulgation. Contra Nocendi International and ContraNocendi Cameroon have raised such concerns in the past, especially with respect to the freedom of expression and of assembly. We have equally raised concerns about thepossibility of abuse of the law to silence political opponents leading to disproportionate punishment for the exercise of civil rights and liberties. Persons actually earns death penalty for the sole reason of exercising their freedoms of speech, opinion and association..Like the four Southern Cameroonians who were recently condemned to death by firing squad in the Buea military Tribunal.This is so Barbaric ,inhumane and degrading.