Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW) Takes Plight To Cyprus On Women's Federation For World Peace (WFWP) Conference
The Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW) is a human rights organization registered in Germany for African diaspora women advocating for the rights of women and children. The organization came into existence after a conference of stakeholders from the Southern Cameroons across the European Continent, in Brussels in March 2017.
The convention was organized by Women's Federation For World Peace (WFWP). WFWP was founded in 1992 in the Republic of Korea and targeted at peacebuilders and leaders whose focus is to transform the community, nation and the world. Five years after it was founded, WFWPI was granted General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The core focus of the organization is to enthrone an environment of peace and well-being for future generations and people of all races, cultures and religious creeds.
L-R: Paulette Mengnjo (SCEW Representative), Ms. Carolyn Handschin (President, CSW/NGO Geneva , Switzerland and Thecla Mbunwe (Representative, Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW)
The plight of the people of Southern Cameroons was brought to the front burner at the conference. Paulette Mengnjo and Thecla Mbunwe who represented the Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW) seized every opportunity at the conference to inform the world of the ongoing attrocities against the people of Southern Cameroons, especially, children, women and other vulnerable persons. They enlightened the audience on the genocidal activities of La Republique du Cameroun (LRC) Military since 2016 aginst the people of Southern Cameroon. The crisis has taken a huge toll on the people of Southern Cameroon as over 42,000 persons have been killed while over 720,000 peolple displaced as refugees across West African sub-region and around the world.
The duo of Paulette Mengnjo and Thecla Mbunwe were presented with award certificate of global women peace ambassadors.
L-R: Paulette Mengnjo and Thecla Mbunwe (Representatives of Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW)
Below is the full text of their presentation at the conference in Cyprus.
A Presentation by Paulette MENGNJO and Thecla MBUNWE on behalf of Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW)
On the occasion of the 20th Annual Women's Federation For World Peace (WFWP) - Europe Leadership Conference. on:
Transforming our World through Advancing Peace: A Culture of Peace and Human Dignity
Holding in Larnaca, Cyprus from the 3rd to 5th November 2023
The Chair of WFWP, Distinguished participants, Ladies and Gentlemen.
VICTIMS OF A FORGOTTEN WAR: THE GENOCIDE IN THE SOUTHERN CAMEROONS / AMBAZONIA
I respectfully stand on all existing Protocols.
Introduction:
I thank the event organizers for extending an invitation to Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW). We are partners for peace and human dignity. We are here today to bring to the front burner the dehumanizing plight of the People of the former UN Trust Territory - The Southern Cameroons, now known as Ambazonia. My heart bleeds as I ask how many of you here know of the genocide being perpetrated in the Southern Cameroons. I know WFWP does not cover Africa, but I believe that you can engage in advocacy for insecurity in the Southern Cameroons because insecurity anywhere is insecurity everywhere.
The search for peace and Humanitarian support for the Conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza is essential, especially to WFWP. However, we are here today to draw the attention of everyone here that the International Community has turned a blind eye to genocide in the Southern Cameroons as if they do not deserve human dignity and seemingly insinuating that *Black Lives Don’t Matter". This genocide is perpetrated by the Government of La Republique du Cameroun through its military. Their atrocities have a significant negative impact on the people of the Southern Cameroons. The impact also extends to the oppressors - La Republique du Cameroun, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Gulf of Guinea which is quite significant.
We respectfully appeal to you all, in your various capacities on behalf of the Peoples of the Southern Cameroons, to consider urgent action to advance a peaceful option to stop the genocide going on in the Southern Cameroons and to include the victims in your Humanitarian considerations.
L-R: Paulette Mengnjo and Thecla Mbunwe (Representatives of Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW)
Genesis of the Conflict:
The conflict has its roots in the botched UN decolonization process in which the Former UN Trust Territory of the Southern Cameroons, under British administration, got independence.
Unity Is Strength
on 1st October 1961 by joining an independent La Republique du Cameroun, another Former UN Trust Territory under France, contrary to the Charter of the UN. Such a UN experiment was bound to fail.
In 2017, the people rose peacefully to demand the Restoration of their independence, which was botched in 1961. President Paul Biya of La Republique du Cameroun, on 30th November 2017, instead declared war on the people of Southern Cameroons, and the military began intense killings and summary executions of children, women, and physically challenged people in the territory as a way of silencing and intimidating the people to submission. Since then, six years and counting, the massacres keep aggravating from Kwakwa, Pinyin, Ngarbuh, and Kumba, just to mention a few. Yet, no one seems to care about the plight and rights of the people.
L-R: Paulette Mengnjo (SCEW Representative), H.E. Mrs. Philippa Karsera (First Lady of the Republic of Cyprus), Ms. Mitty Tohma (WFWP Europe President, WFWPI Vice President, UK), Prof. Nargis Hassanzai (Founder Farkhunda Foundation) and Thecla Mbunwe (Representatives of Southern Cameroons European Women (SCEW)
Some Hard Facts
The Norwegian Refugee Commission held that this conflict is one of the most under-reported conflicts in the world.
Therefore, permit me to highlight the following under-reported statistics of the genocide in Southern Cameoons:
● Over 42,000 Persons have been Killed by La Republique du Cameroun (LRC) Military since 2016.
● Over 720,000 Refugees, with about 500,000 in LRC, 180,000 in Nigeria, and the rest spread across Ghana and the rest of the world.
● Over 1,000,000 IDPs spread across towns and villages in the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia.
● Over 600 villages were razed down by the Cameroun military; ● Over 7,000 rape cases with over 10% pregnant.
● Tens of thousands were maimed and traumatized, and many young girls were contemplating suicide.
● Over 3,500 persons in prisons and other LRC torture/detention camps/centers. With many under-age children, women, and elderly persons. All of them being held under very dehumanizing conditions.
If these figures don't alert the world on an ongoing genocide in the Southern Cameroons that needs to be stopped, then the Never Again and R2P (Right To Protect) Commitments are for specific others only.
These figures convey the enormous humanitarian crisis generated by Cameroun’s tyrannical and oppressive government. This is where SCEW comes in, but it can only do very little in the broad spectrum of humanitarian needs.
A Specific Concern on the Refugees
I am talking of a situation in the Gulf of Guinea, Africa, which you don't specifically cover, but permit me to unveil it to the world.
The Leaders of the People of Southern Cameroon/Ambazonia, headed by President - Sisiku AyukTabe, were duly registered Refugees and Asylum Seekers with UNHCR Nigeria. They were abducted from Nera Hotel in Abuja on the 5th of January 2018 and illegally deported (refoulement) to Yaoundé Cameroun without due process. They were subjected to a sham
Unity Is Strength
trial and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. They are currently incarcerated in Yaoundé, Cameroun.
The continuous incarceration has been declared arbitrary/illegal by the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN-HRC-WGAD) in Communication 59/2022 of 14th October 2022, and the perpetrators of the abduction and incarceration, Nigeria and Cameroun, ordered to free the victims and pay them appropriate compensation unconditionally.
To these same Leaders of the same Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia), the African Union Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), Banjul in Communication 266/2003 of 27th May 2009 between Kelvin Ngwang Ngumne et al Vs la République du Cameroun, held that they are a people entitled to the right of Self-determination and advised the Government of la République du Cameroun to engage in Constructive Dialogue to resolve the issues between them and which Decision was adopted by African Union Heads of State (HOS) Summit of Tripoli 2010. The AU even offered her Good Offices to help facilitate the Dialogue, but in vain.
To these same Southern Cameroons leaders, the Federal High Court, Abuja, held in a
Judgment of 1st March 2019 between Sisiku AyukTabe & 12 Others vs. the National Security Adviser and the AGF of Nigeria and also in the Judgment between Wilfred Tassang & 50 others VS The National Security Adviser and the AGF of Nigeria; that their abduction, incarceration, deportation without due process, was an abuse of their Fundamental Human Rights, it was unconstitutional, Illegal, abusive and also ordered for their immediate release and appropriate compensation.
Yet these same Southern Cameroon leaders are still held tight in Prison. What peace can there be without justice?
Our Appeal
As we seek world peace, we would like to conclude by:
- Appealing to everyone here to use his/her good offices alongside your partners to urgently intervene to end the conflict between la République du Cameroun and the Southern Cameroons through a negotiated settlement and stop the ongoing genocide and Humanitarian crisis in the Southern Cameroons.
- Calling on you all to Kindly consider victims of this conflict in your Humanitarian endeavors;
- Appealing that you help in any way possible to secure the release of Sisiku AyukTabe and team, as well as other Refugees abducted in Nigeria, deported, and jailed in Cameroun because they are prisoners of conscience.
We thank you all for your attention, and we look forward to your kind intervention and support.
Best Regards
Thecla MBUNWE
SCEW Chairlady [email protected]
Paulette MENGNJO
Head of Humanitarian [email protected]