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Press Release

We at Amnesty International USA, Cameroon Advocacy Network, Haitian Bridge Alliance, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and UndocuBlack Network, welcome the Department of Homeland Security’s designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) This is a critical move to ensure that the estimated 75,000 nationals from Ukraine are free from the fear of being returned to the human rights catastrophe brought upon by Russia’s invasion. 

March 4, 2022

Press Release

Yesterday, the Cameroon Advocacy Network (CAN), in collaboration with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), held a Congressional briefing on the need for a temporary protected status (TPS) designation for Cameroon. The briefing had country conditions experts as well as impacted community members from CAN, Amnesty International, CASA, and the Center for Research, Education and Resources Distribution to the Rural and Underprivileged People. These individuals highlighted the deteriorating country conditions in Cameroon that make safe return impossible as they described the ongoing armed conflict, massive internal displacement, dangerous political conditions, and severe consequences for Cameroonians who have thus far been deported…

December 1, 2021

Press Release

Following the killing of eight schoolchildren in the town of Kumba in the Anglophone region of Cameroon, Tity Agbahey, Amnesty International’s Central Africa Campaigner, said: “The killing of eight schoolchildren inside their classroom is an atrocity that underscores the urgency of protecting ordinary people from the ongoing violence in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. This horrific attack shows how badly the situation is deteriorating and we call on Cameroon’s authorities to immediately take all possible measures to protect the population. “At least 12 other schoolchildren were injured in the attack. Over the past year there has been a surge in attacks in the Anglophone…

October 26, 2020

Press Release

Amnesty International USA calls upon the Trump administration to refrain from deporting people to Cameroon, as the administration schedules deportations this week from Alexandria Airport in Louisiana. The organization is also concerned about the threat of imminent deportation of Cameroonians now being held at the Prairieland detention center in Texas. The Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigration policies enforced by ICE would place hundreds and possibly thousands of Cameroonians seeking safety in the Unites States at risk upon their return to the Central African nation. Cameroon is struggling with three concurrent crises:  the widening conflict; clashes between the government and armed separatists…

October 9, 2020

Press Release

HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA: Protesters across sub-Saharan Africa have braved bullets and beatings to defend their rights in the face of continuing conflict and state repression, Amnesty International said today as it published its annual review of human rights in the region. The organization highlighted the bravery and defiance of people who took to the streets to demand change, but warned that they are being let down by governments who continue to perpetrate human rights violations across the region. The report analyzes major developments from the past year including the deposition of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the Zimbabwean government’s response…

April 7, 2020

Press Release

In response to reports that the US government has decided to cut security and military aid to Cameroon amid concerns over its human rights record, Adotei Akwei, deputy director for advocacy and government relations for Amnesty International USA issued the following: "Cameroonian security forces have indiscriminately killed, arrested, and tortured people, firing on crowds, displacing thousands of civilians, and destroying entire villages with impunity. These abuses continue, following the presidential elections that took place in October that returned 36-year-incumbent Paul Biya to power. "The United States must continue to show that it takes human rights violations committed with its aid…

February 6, 2019

Press Release

At least 60 people were killed following the January 28 devastating Boko Haram attack on Rann, a border town in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, Amnesty International has confirmed. The organization also analyzed satellite imagery which shows hundreds of burned structures in the town. Many of the destroyed structures only date back to 2017, suggesting they were shelters for internally displaced people who came to Rann seeking protection. “We have now confirmed that this week’s attack on Rann was the deadliest yet by Boko Haram, killing at least 60 people. Using satellite imagery we have also been able to confirm the mass…

February 1, 2019

Press Release

Following the abduction of at least 70 schoolchildren in Cameroon’s Anglophone region, Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Deputy regional director for West and Central Africa said: “These appalling abductions show just how general population is paying the highest price as violence escalates in the Anglophone region. “The abduction of schoolchildren and teachers can never be justified. Whoever is responsible must release and return the victims immediately. “We express solidarity with the families of these children and demand that the Cameroon authorities do everything in their power to ensure all the pupils and school staff are freed unharmed. “In a case with…

November 5, 2018

Press Release

Cameroon’s next government must urgently tackle human rights crises in which hundreds of civilians have been killed this year alone and thousands internally displaced amid violence by security forces, Boko Haram and armed separatists in the country’s Far North and Anglophone regions, Amnesty International said ahead of Sunday’s presidential election. “Whoever wins the election cannot ignore the perilous situation for people living in the Far North and Anglophone regions and must prioritize their protection,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Deputy regional director for West and Central Africa. “For far too long, numerous human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture, enforced…

October 4, 2018

Press Release

An investigation by Amnesty International experts has gathered credible evidence that it was Cameroonian soldiers depicted in a video carrying out the horrific extrajudicial executions of two women and two young children. While an investigation has now been announced, the Ministry of Communication earlier dismissed video footage of the killings as “fake news”. Extensive analysis of the weapons, dialogue and uniforms that feature in the video, paired with digital verification techniques and testimonies taken from the ground, all strongly suggest that the perpetrators of the executions are Cameroonian soldiers. “The Cameroonian authorities’ initial claim that this shocking video is fake…

July 12, 2018

Press Release

Cameroon must act swiftly on the recommendations published today by the UN Committee against Torture and put an end to the widespread use of torture by security forces fighting Boko Haram, Amnesty International said.

December 6, 2017

Press Release

Authorities in Cameroon should drop all charges and release three students each sentenced to 10 years in prison for sharing a joke via SMS about Boko Haram, Amnesty International, the Réseau des défenseurs des droits humains en Afrique centrale (REDHAC) and Nouveaux droits de l’homme (NDH) Cameroun said today.

September 21, 2017