Political and Economic Section
Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2006 (Cameroon)
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
"If they think they can stop me from speaking against injustice, corruption and misgovernment …, then they are mistaken. It will not stop me."
--Trevor Ncube, Zimbabwe journalist harassed by government
Many countries in Africa made significant headway along the road to democracy, bringing new hope to the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) held its first democratic and credible presidential and legislative elections in more than 40 years, and democratic elections in Benin, Madagascar, and Mauritania brought renewed optimism to the region. As countries moved toward greater democratic governance, U.S. assistance focused on building political plurality, ensuring voter registration, and providing election monitoring. In Uganda, the United States supported Ugandans’ decision to adopt a multiparty political system by funding programs to enhance voter participation and political pluralism, and improve the administration of presidential and parliamentary elections. Nonetheless, institutionalizing democratic reforms across the continent continued to be a major challenge.
Key human rights problems, principally armed conflict, remained throughout Africa. In Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic (CAR), DRC, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda, U.S. priorities included ending the violence that threatens so many lives and livelihoods, protecting vulnerable populations from further suffering, and bringing peace and stability to the region. In June, The Gambia was suspended from eligibility for assistance from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government-owned corporation that delivers targeted assistance to developing countries, after restricting civil liberties and press freedom in the wake of a springtime failed coup.
Despite the May 5th signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), genocide continued in Darfur. In 2006, the United States led the international community in diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to stop the violence and protect the lives of millions of innocent civilians through peace negotiations, action at the UN Security Council, and aggressive promotion and support of a robust, international peacekeeping force in Darfur. The U.S. continued its role as the world's largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Sudan.
In Zimbabwe, where the ruling party maintained its monopoly on the executive branch, the United States encouraged the efforts of the Parliament, the judiciary, and local government to exercise some independence. A U.S.-sponsored program to strengthen parliamentary committees helped increase debate from both opposition and reform-minded ruling party members and encouraged greater transparency through public hearings on legislation. U.S. programming also provided much-needed training for local government leaders in Sierra Leone's recently reconstructed public infrastructure, helping town and district councils take on greater responsibilities for local governance issues, including health and agricultural services, as the central government continued to develop.
A vibrant and involved civil society is one of the best long-term guarantees of democratic stability. Throughout Africa, the United States worked to strengthen civic education in communities, support the development of civil society, including nascent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and labor movements, and diversify the sources of information available to communities. For example, U.S.-funded grants supported local NGOs who educated communities on human rights, HIV/AIDS, reconciliation, and peace building throughout Liberia.
U.S. programs promoted free, economically stable, and socially responsible media in the region. African journalists participated in professional exchange program visits to the United States. In the DRC, the United States held twelve workshops and an internet training course to help nearly 500 journalists improve their political reporting. U.S.-sponsored programs also helped promote the free flow of independent and objective information in Zimbabwe, Chad, Burundi, Mauritania, Liberia, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia.
In response to the corruption that continued to plague many countries in the region, the United States made the development of modern, efficient, and transparent legal systems an assistance priority for Africa. In Chad, the United States provided technical assistance to the Oil Revenue Management College to promote accountability in projects financed by oil revenues, and funded a budget-training workshop for parliamentarians. The United States also financially supported anticorruption efforts in Zambia, Chad, Liberia, and The Gambia.
United States support for human rights protections, including the rights of women, minorities, and the disabled, mirrored the growing demands for personal and political freedoms in the region. Swaziland passed its first constitution in 32 years that provided for an independent judiciary and gave equal legal rights to women, although the citizens of the country wait for its full implementation. The United States worked throughout the region to improve awareness of human rights principles among military and law enforcement agencies, to ameliorate conditions in prisons, educate women and minorities of their legal rights, and build linkages among human rights organizations. In Uganda, the United States supported an extensive project to improve the rights and status of women that included mentoring sessions between female members of Parliament and more than 300 prospective female candidates for local and national office.
The variety of religious expression in Africa provides a unique showcase for interfaith and interethnic tolerance. In many countries with sizable Muslim populations, an interfaith gathering to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan has become an annual embassy event. The United States promoted religious freedom through speeches and by gathering for occasions such as Iftar dinners to engage in dialogue with Muslim leaders in various African countries. The United States has worked extensively in Nigeria on the problems of interreligious violence and constraints on religious freedom, meeting with political and religious leaders at both the national and local levels to gain a better understanding of existing tensions.
Throughout Africa, the United States devoted substantial resources to prevent trafficking in persons and a range of labor rights abuses. These programs provided educational opportunities and job training for at-risk youth, expanded cooperation among law enforcement bodies, and helped victims reintegrate into their home communities. For example, the United States funded a cross-border antitrafficking awareness program in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and continued to expand educational opportunities for nearly 10,000 children either employed or at risk of being employed in the worst forms of child labor. Kenya, Angola, DRC, Zimbabwe, and Guinea, among others, also received U.S. support for human rights protection programs, including initiatives to combat sexual violence and abuse of women.
Countries with accountable governments, political and economic freedoms, and respect for individual human rights enjoy a strong advantage in building prosperous, healthy, and educated populations. It is no coincidence that conflict, chaos, corrupt and oppressive governments, and humanitarian crisis often co-exist. The United States will continue to promote democracy and advance human rights in Africa to help the countries of the continent further develop the groundwork for peace, security, and stability.
Cameroon
Cameroon is a republic dominated by a strong presidency. Despite the country's multiparty system of government, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement has remained in power since it was created in 1985. In 2004 ruling party leader Paul Biya won re-election as president. The election was flawed by irregularities, particularly in the voter registration process, but observers believed the election results represented the will of voters. The government's human rights record remained poor, and the government continued to commit numerous human rights abuses. Security forces committed numerous unlawful killings and regularly engaged in torture, beatings, and other abuses, particularly of detainees and prisoners. Prison conditions were harsh and life threatening. Authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained anglophone citizens advocating secession, local human rights monitors and activists, and other citizens. The law provides for the arrest of homosexuals and persons not carrying identification cards. There were reports of prolonged and sometimes incommunicado pretrial detention and infringement on citizens' privacy rights. The government restricted citizens' freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and movement. Official corruption and impunity were problems. Societal violence and discrimination against women; trafficking in persons, primarily children; discrimination against indigenous Pygmies and ethnic minorities; and discrimination against homosexuals also were problems. The government restricted labor rights. Child labor, slavery, and forced labor, including forced child labor, were reported to be problems.
The government took significant steps during the year to improve citizens’ understanding of their specific human rights and protections through publication of its own human rights report. The government also conducted training sessions throughout the country on the provisions of the penal code scheduled for implementation in 2007.
The United States promoted its goal of strengthening democratic institutions and improving respect for human rights by actively engaging officials from all levels of government, local and international NGOs, and members of civil society and the media.
The United States worked to support democratic processes in the country. In preparation for the municipal and legislative elections slated for June 2007, the U.S. Government continued to work with key officials to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the independent electoral commission. U.S. officials met repeatedly with high-level members of the government, including President Biya, to urge that concrete action be taken to reach the government's stated objective of holding free and fair legislative and municipal elections in 2007. The United States worked with donors and the government to reform the electoral process, especially the effort to register voters and develop a new electoral code by 2007. U.S. officials attended high-level working-group meetings, whose participants included members of the UN Development Program and European Union, to coordinate policy on finance, governance, and assistance expenditures in support of the election. The United States provided support for an October meeting of a parliamentary caucus on environmental protection, which brought together lawmakers, NGOs, and citizen groups to address good governance and environmental issues. In November politicians attended a two-day event sponsored by the U.S. Government on midterm elections in the United States, which included a pre election watch, post-election wrap-up, and a discussion of the issues with the ambassador and other U.S. officials.
The United States promoted citizen involvement in the democratic process. In a November address the ambassador stressed the need for science-based decision-making in government and the public’s right to know the reasoning behind policy decisions. The U.S. Government funded local NGOs working to promote civic education in electoral law and to train student leaders in advocacy, lobbying, and nonviolent strategies to effect change.
The U.S. Government promoted continued media development by providing grants to two nationwide media associations for extended training with a journalism expert. The United States cosponsored training for journalists on investigative reporting, ethics, and news reporting, as well as two workshops on editing with a journalism expert. During each training session, the role of the media and corruption was discussed. The U.S. Government also gave several grants to media organizations to discuss issues including the environment, women, and political involvement.
Following the 2000 law authorizing the creation of private radio and television stations, the U.S. Government continued to press the government to issue licenses during the year. The United States also supported completion of the development of a labor standard agreement for journalists.
The United States supported civil society by awarding grants to support local NGOs implementing projects promoting good governance and the rights of women and children.
To promote due process and respect for the law, the U.S. Government funded a local NGO that helped to disseminate the new criminal procedure code. One of the major U.S. priorities was to push for the elimination of corruption in all aspects of life. To this end, the ambassador held press conferences and frequently raised the issue with government and civil society actors. In a December speech delivered before the prime minister and cabinet, the ambassador praised the early ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption as a strong indicator of the government’s commitment to making progress against corruption and called for additional progress.
The United States worked with the military and police to curb human rights abuses. To foster more professionalism in the security forces, the U.S. Government sent members of the armed forces to military schools in the United States, where they studied civil-military relations, military peacekeeping operations, military subordination to civilian authorities, and a broad range of other legal and human rights topics. The program included additional opportunities for engagement in outside programs. The United States also funded the International Law Enforcement Academy, which provided law enforcement instruction to local law enforcement authorities.
The U.S. Government funded several local NGOs involved in human rights issues, including one that provided an education program on the eradication of female genital mutilation to the Arabe Choa tribe of the Far North Province. U.S. Government support for the World Food Program’s food assistance to primary schools in the extreme north and Adamaoua Province allowed 82,500 students from underprivileged households to attend school, in particular girls during the last three grades of primary school. The U.S. Government also provided aid to refugees, estimated to number 30,000. The United States provided a grant for assistance to a center to rehabilitate refugees who were victims of torture.
To support religious tolerance, the ambassador continued the annual tradition of hosting an Iftar dinner at his residence.
The United States sponsored several efforts to eliminate child labor. The U.S. Government continued to fund the West Africa Cocoa/Agriculture Project to eliminate child labor. At the end of the three-year project, the program had withdrawn 1,600 children from hazardous work in cocoa farms and prevented another 379 children from entering the workforce. In addition, the program provided education to more than 800 parents to enable them to seek income-generating activities and provided direct assistance to start such activities. The program also created a common initiative group of small holder tea farmers who produced and labeled their tea "Child Labor Free." Approximately 35,000 people have been directly sensitized about child labor in various project sites. On June 16, to raise awareness of the issue of child labor, the U.S. Government organized a high-profile fashion show, the screening of a labor documentary, and a handicrafts fair to demonstrate the value of teaching youth useful, viable skills. During the fashion show, rescued youth modeled apparel created by former child labor victims.
The United States worked to combat trafficking in persons. It implemented an antitrafficking program from April through March 2006 through Nkumu Fed Fed, a network of women’s associations that fights against child labor, child violence, and child trafficking. The project addressed traditional practices that disadvantage young women and children, particularly in rural communities where employment and female literacy are low and poverty is rampant.