Excerpt from The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) press release:

NFOR NGALA NFOR, of International Federation for the Protection of The Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic & Other Minorities, said the statement by the Cameroon delegation concerning its commitment to respect human rights, as well as its declaration that the full realization of the civil and political rights of peoples were intimately linked to the enjoyment of economic and cultural rights, including the right to development, was amazing. Cameroon's track record included gross human rights abuses and obstructions to social and economic development in the Southern Cameroons. Given this underdevelopment, how could it be said that the Yaoundé Government was committed to the respect of the economic rights of the people and their right to development? The Commission should take note of the plight of the Southern Cameroons and their right to self-determination and ultimately their guarantee to enjoy their economic, social and cultural rights.

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Copy of the oral statement delivered under item 10 by IFPRERLOM:


COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sixty-first Session, 14 March – 22 April 2005
Item 10: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

Oral Statement by Nfor Ngala Nfor, International Federation for the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and Other Minorities

Mr. Chairperson,

The International Federation for the Protection of the Rights of Ethnic, Religious, Linguistic and Other Minorities (IFPRERLOM) is amazed at the statement by the Cameroun delegation concerning its commitment to respect human rights, as well as its declaration that the full realization of the civil and political rights of peoples are intimately linked to the enjoyment of economic and cultural rights, including the right to development.

On the contrary, as evidenced by the report by UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Sir Nigel Rodley [1], Cameroun’s track record includes gross human rights abuses and obstructions to social and economic development in Southern Cameroons.

Prior to the defunct federal union in 1972, Southern Cameroons had four airports, two seaports, and a river port. Consequent upon annexation, all have been closed. Besongabang airport has become a military barracks for a crack down and Bamenda airport is to become an air force base to institutionalize the reign of terror on our people who wallow in misery and abject poverty.

Southern Cameroons, carved into two provinces of la Republique du Cameroun, does not even have a road linking the two provinces. Thus, to travel from one province to the other one must pass through la Republique territory due to the abandonment of the roads that existed.

Effectively reducing Southern Cameroons into an economic appendage, the Yaoundé annexationist regime closed down several industries set up by Southern Cameroons successive governments [2]. Workers were laid off without compensation, and from the Produce Marketing Board the Farmer’s Stabilisation Fund of 78 billion CFA Francs was confiscated by the Yaoundé regime.

The Cameroons Development Corporation (CDC), whose proceeds by the law of 1947, was to be used for the development of Southern Cameroons, is in terrible decline and has been listed for privatization. Already, the tea estates of Ndu and Tole have been sold at give away prize to a baron of the CPDM ruling party. The consequences of this sale, both to the workers and their families, have been devastating. Many have been laid off without due compensation and salaries have arbitrarily been reduced. Despite the fact that Southern Cameroons accounts for 70 percent of the GDP, due to petroleum, it does not enjoy more than four percent of the investment budget and foreign investors are discouraged from investing in the territory.

Mr. Chairperson, given this picture of underdevelopment, how can it be said that the Yaoundé government is committed to the respect of the economic rights of our people and their rights to development?

I hereby call upon the Commission to take serious note of the plight of the former UN Trust territory of Southern Cameroons, now under the domination of la Republique du Cameroun, and their right to self-determination, the ultimate guarantor of their social, economic and cultural development.

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.

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[1] UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, 1999 Report
[2] Such as Santa Coffee Estate, Development Agency, Electricity Corporation (Powercam), Produce Marketing Board, Wum Area Development Agency, Cameroon Bank, Ntem Palm Estate, Kimbi Game Reserve amongst others.