Cameroon Protection Analysis Update

The protection environment remained volatile, unstable and hostile to the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedom due to the ongoing conflict affecting populations across Far North, Northwest and Southwest of Cameroon. The impact of conflict and violations to human rights and international humanitarian law has remained unchanged over the course of the last two years, with no substantial improvements in the protection of civilians, safety and security, or access to services.

In the latest period, conditions have worsened. Human rights violations persist, exacerbated by repeated attacks, abductions, unlawful arrests and arbitrary detentions, theft and the deliberate destruction of personal property. Restrictions on freedom of movement and frequent lockdowns disrupt daily life and severely impact socio-economic activities. Both private and public property and infrastructure suffer significant damage, exacerbating issues such as educational disparities for children, with many schools remaining unsafe and lacking basic facilities. Climate change impacts further exacerbate the effects on population, with severe weather events causing further displacement. The most vulnerable population, including children, face heightened risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.

Populations faced multiple displacements further exposing them to human rights violations, exploitation and abuse. In the Far North region, women and girls are disproportionately affected by harmful cultural practices and deep-rooted biases, leading to an alarming increase in gender-based violence (GBV), particularly domestic and intimate partner violence. Men and boys, on the other hand, are subjected to violations against the physical integrity, including unlawful arrests and arbitrary detentions, especially in the Northwest and Southwest regions.

The protection risks requiring immediate attention in the period covered by this analysis are:

1. Gender-based violence
2. Unlawful impediments or restrictions to freedom of movement, siege and forced displacement
3. Child and family separation
4. Torture or cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment
5. Abduction, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary or unlawful arrest and/or detention