Evidence of meeting #10 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was ethiopia.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
No, you don't have. Thank you, Mr. Chiu.
We're moving now to the Bloc and Monsieur Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe for seven minutes.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today. Their answers are extremely important and, above all, insightful.
Since I have a lot of questions, but not much time, I may interrupt you.
History has taught us that women and girls are often the first victims in a conflict. I'd like you to comment on that, because it's not something that has received much media attention. It's also important to make the public aware of the issue, which could help garner more support.
Perhaps Mr. Tembon could comment first.
Executive Director, Chair Cameroon Working Group, Oasis Network for Community Transformation
Thank you for your question. It's a very important one.
Women and children are indeed those suffering the most in this conflict. More than a million children have not gone to school in four years. It's extremely sad to watch. Children have been burned in their homes by the military. When the military invades a village, people flee, but the women, children and elderly who don't manage to get out are burned in their homes.
A few days ago, I saw a video that was being shared on social media. It showed a father in tears holding his burned baby. That's not the only case. There are mothers whose babies were shot, pregnant women who were killed and women who were beheaded. It's really awful to see what's happening, to see how the conflict is affecting the population, especially women and children.
The international community must step in, if only out of compassion for the women and children.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Mr. Tembon.
Mr. Fomunyoh, is there anything you'd like to add?
Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa Programs, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
Yes, I'd like to add two things.
To begin with, the first images we saw of the conflict date back to 2017. We saw villages that had been set on fire in Kumba and an old mother who had been burned alive in her home. Since then, numerous crimes have been committed against women and children. Another incident that comes to mind is the prison guard who was killed in Bamenda in circumstances that remain mysterious.
Second, people have suffered internal displacement, including many young girls and children. They wind up in other regions of Cameroon, especially big cities such as Douala and Yaoundé, where they become involved in prostitution in order to survive.
The generation that is the future is being decimated by the conflict. Meaningful action has to be taken immediately to put a stop to this dreadful war.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Mr. Fomunyoh.
Professor Garry, I'd like to hear your comments on the subject.
Prof. Hannah Garry
Thank you for that really important question.
I will make a couple of points. First, I just want to echo my fellow witnesses. We do not have the facts sufficiently with regard to this question, and it is something we've come across in our clinic as we've been doing our detailed report. The reports and the fact-finding done so far by international human rights groups have overlooked and not detailed sufficiently the harm done to women and children, so we've made a point of specifically doing in-depth interviews with refugees on this question.
One thing that is becoming of increasing concern is child soldiers and forcible recruitment of children to join in and be part of the conflict. There are concerns that this might become another Sierra Leone-type situation, so I would just flag that for you.
In our in-depth interviews and our anecdotal evidence with women, we've heard about rape and sexual violence being used as weapons of war in the conflict.
A fact-finding inquiry and commission specifically on the treatment of these two groups in the population is critically in need. I can't emphasize that enough.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you.
In his opening statement, Mr. Tembon talked about Rwanda. Ms. Garry, you just mentioned Sierra Leone. We already have several compelling examples.
How are Cameroon's neighbours responding or behaving right now? What attitude have they, or the African Union as a whole, taken to the current conflict?
Executive Director, Chair Cameroon Working Group, Oasis Network for Community Transformation
Some of Cameroon's neighbours, including Niger and Nigeria, have arrested leaders in Southern Cameroon and sent them back home. They are now in jail. Nigeria supports Cameroon in what it's doing because Nigeria needs the partnership with Cameroon to fight Boko Haram.
The Central African Republic has its own issues.
Chad, for its part, can't come out against Cameroon because it depends on Cameroon's resources. The pipeline is an obvious example.
Executive Director, Chair Cameroon Working Group, Oasis Network for Community Transformation
Gabon is another one.
All of those neighbouring countries are influenced by France, and France has been indifferent to the situation or shown support for Cameroon.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
France is actually hiding behind the cloak of non-interference.
Executive Director, Chair Cameroon Working Group, Oasis Network for Community Transformation
That's exactly right.
Executive Director, Chair Cameroon Working Group, Oasis Network for Community Transformation
The African Union hasn't come out one way or the other. I've approached the African Union a number of times in an effort to obtain a meeting, but it has never agreed to meet with us. I think it's waiting for direction from France. The African Union tends to be a club of presidents who protect their own, and they don't want to get involved.
Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa Programs, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
I'd like to say something more about the African Union, if I may. It operates on the principle of subsidiarity. In other words, every sub-regional organization must get involved first and may then turn to the African Union for assistance.
In West Africa, for instance, the Economic Community of West African States is very active. Cameroon, however, is not in the sub-region of West Africa; rather, it is in the Central Africa sub-region. The member states of the Central African community are not as open because none of them has an English-speaking minority, so they aren't sensitive to the cultural diversity that exists in Cameroon.
Bloc
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Members, just before we move on to our second round of questions, I have an update on the e-vote. It looks as though it's going to be taken at around 7:30 or so, just so you're aware.
We're going to move into our second round. As soon as we hear about the vote, we'll suspend.
NDP
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
I'm sorry, Ms. McPherson. I apologize. We'll bring you in right now.
It looks as though the e-vote is going to happen closer to around 7:30 now.
Ms. McPherson, you'll have seven minutes to conclude our first round. Go ahead.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just making sure I'm actually going to get my time.
