Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on June 13th, 2019

[Tity Agbahey]

Thank you.

There's clearly a window for escalation of violence in anglophone regions. As I was saying, all signals are right in the country. It has been really hard for us to work on this particular issue because it's hard for us to find a partner in the international community, a strong voice among the countries of the international community.

What we usually tell the states is that, whatever your partnership is with Cameroon, make sure human rights are one key condition for delivering that partnership. For countries like the United States of America or Israel, Israel being a particular case.... The United States of America provides arms and weapons to the Cameroonian army. We have been telling them to make sure their arms are not used to torture people and are not involved in unlawful killing.

In other countries in west Africa, for example, where the aid was in support of education or health, it is important to make sure that the money goes exactly where it's supposed to go and that it's not diverted into security. It would be basically tailored on what exactly is the content of the partnership Canada has with Cameroon, and then use human rights as a key condition for that partnership, either to exist or to continue.

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Morgan.

[Scott Morgan]

I would echo those remarks but I would also go back to my point on the Peace and Security Council.

One of Cameroon's immediate neighbours, Nigeria, is on the Peace and Security Council of the AU for the next year. Nigeria also has a stake in this, not just with the Boko Haram issue and the repatriation of refugees. What goes on in Cameroon, Nigeria has a stake in it, because what we're seeing develop is that some of the fault lines in Nigeria are actually showing up in Cameroon as well.

Basically, if we can, Nigeria could be a country to focus on for Canada, not only to reach out through the Commonwealth but also to suggest that they take it up at the Peace and Security Council of the AU.

Another thing I might suggest is having groups that have programs similar to USAID do specific programs, not only to deal with education but also with health care, because we focus on education of refugees but we're seeing some of the victims and you wonder what type of health care they're getting as well. Reaching out to the international Red Cross and Red Crescent could be another avenue of our approach, to see if we could get their views as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

Thank you very very much. I want to thank both of our witnesses, Scott Morgan and Tity Agbahey.

I'd also like to remind the committee that we have our special session on Monday from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., with Michelle Bachelet, who as we all know is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

I hope others will tune in as well on Monday, and with that.... We have a question from Ms. Hardcastle.

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I just have a point of order. I would like to submit a copy of written testimony from the study that we had on Iran accountability for someone who wasn't able to be at the committee. That was Dr. Pars. I have the English and the French translation of a written submission that I'd like to submit to the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anita Vandenbeld]

That wouldn't be a point of order at this point. I would like to dismiss the witnesses, but certainly that's something that we could discuss in the steering committee. I do understand that has been dealt with by the committee already. We can discuss further, but it's not a point of order at the moment.

I would like to thank everybody, and we'll come back on Monday.

Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.