The ‘Boko Haram’ Or ‘Ebola’ bill

On December 10, 2014, Boris Bertolt and Jean Mark Bikoko, took to the streets on the sidelines of the international human rights day to protest against what the press has dubbed the ‘Boko Haram’ or the ‘Ebola’ bill, adopted by the CPDM in both the National Assembly and the Senate. After all, the MPs are just remote-controlled to do so, they have no choice.

Ni John, Ni Fru, Ni Ndi even went a step further to threaten the Mvomeka kid saying that ‘let him try and we will see’. He even called on Cameroonians to resist this law that impeded on their basic rights. But Ni Fru, on 11 December 2014 said; “I am no longer ready to lead street protests. I have done my best.” Wisdom is like a baobab tree, no one individual can embrace it. So with the incursions of Boko Haram, the Government of Paul Biya has decided to crack down on any terrorist spotted on Cameroon soil. But, according to most media organs, Article 2 of this bill is the main bone of contention.

According to CRTV’s Ngalla Killiam Chintom, the bill requests for the punishment of acts of terrorism committed by citizens, either individually or in complicity, with death. The draft bill also prescribes death penalty for persons who are involved in “any activity which can lead to a general revolt of the population or disturb the normal functioning of the country” and for “anyone who supplies arms, war equipment, bacteria and viruses with the intention of killing.”

Also, people guilty of kidnapping with terrorist intent, and “anyone who directly or indirectly sponsors acts of terrorism” and “anyone who recruits citizens with the aim of carrying out acts of terrorism.” The bill also punishes people and companies found guilty of promoting terrorism, as well as people who give false testimony to administrative and judicial authorities in matters of terrorism, with various fines and prison terms.

If this bill is enacted by the President of the Republic, then, let’s say Adieu to our freedoms. Because if any citizen is caught on the streets, be they lecturers, university students, civil society activists, political parties; or if any citizen uses whatsoever measure to incite rebellion in Cameroon, therefore, it will be dubbed an act of terrorism and the citizen will not only be judged by a military court, but also liable to a death penalty. And that is exactly what SDF’s Banadzem has been weeping about. Our basic human rights will be violated by this bill that CPDM people hurriedly whisked-off their tables.

But is this bill any different from the already bad human rights record that Cameroon has in the world? Edith Walla has weighed in as the lone female political contributor in Cameroon’s political landscape to say that, “the Government is taking us back to the worst days of the most barbaric dictatorship … This law is manifestly against the fundamental liberties and rights of the Cameroonian people … In the guise of fighting terrorism, the Government’s real intent is to stifle political dissent.”

Pr. Maurice Kamto on his part intercepts Biya’s intent to puncture any move by any Cameroonian to plagiarise the Burkina example. And that is what every Cameroonian who has perused that bill will identify.

In 2002, a report by the UK charity Freedom from Torture stated that; "The prevalence of torture in Cameroon was such as to warrant a country visit from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture in 1999. He described the use of torture in Cameroon as 'widespread and systematic.' This ‘Ebola’ bill is another step back to that era.

In 2012, the Annual Review, Freedom from Torture published that they had received 33 referrals for torture survivors from Cameroon for clinical treatment or other services. Amnesty International reported concerns about violence by security forces stating that in 2008, around 100 civilians were killed during demonstrations. So just imagine, that Biya signed this bill, that figure will explode.

In April 2010, Germain Cyrille Ngota Ngota, editor of Cameroun Express, kicked the bucket in custody at Kondengui Central Prison. He had been jailed pending trial in February 2010 along with the editors of two other newspapers, for the alleged "joint forgery" of the signature of a presidential official. The Federation of African Journalists after visiting the country described Cameroon in May 2010 as 'one of the worst jailers of journalists in Africa.”

Let us imagine that if this bill is validated by Etoudi, all our journalists will rot in jail with effect from the enactment of that law. If Biya covers his ears to the cry for salvation of the major stakeholders in Cameroon’s landscape, then it will be at his own detriment. And he will be violating all the international treaties and laws Cameroon has ratified and, mind you, they are a compendium.

This law is inevitably a violation of the basic human rights. And even Issa Bakary knows it well, although he stepped out as usual to tell us a different story. In a report published in January 2013, human rights group, Amnesty International, urged the Government of Cameroon to end impunity for grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading forms of punishment, unfair trials. Amnesty notes that perpetrators of human rights violations, especially law enforcement forces, mostly go unpunished.

Now, the law has been entrusted to law enforcement officers through the military court, now, law enforcement officials can sentence civilians. Karl Nang Anang will tell you better. His father, Andrew Kang, who retired from the army and joined the Southern Cameroons’ struggle for independence will tell you why he has become a fugitive. So, are we going to survive this tide?

Amnesty also holds that journalists, members of opposition political parties, human rights defenders and Government critics bear the brunt of limitations on freedom of expression and association. Journalists are targeted for doing their job, and human rights defenders are subjected to violence, arrests and detentions for criticizing the government for alleged human rights violations. I rest my case! As we say in the neighbourhoods, ‘fow wey ei no hear shuut, go hear bam.’