The Jesuits in Africa and Madagascar have expressed deep concern about the violence and the loss of human lives in Cameroon and are calling for an “inclusive dialogue” to end the escalating conflict in the country.
“Inclusive dialogue involving Anglophone separatists is the only sustainable solution to the violence causing the unacceptable loss of innocent lives in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon,” the major superiors of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM) said in a statement released on 27 February.
The violent clashes between Cameroon’s army and English-speaking fighters seeking to form a new independent state called Ambazonia began in 2016 when teachers and lawyers protested against the use of French in schools and courts, and complained of being marginalised by the French-speaking majority. The government cracked down violently on the protesters, provoking rebels to declare independence leading in turn to an even stronger military crackdown. The three-year conflict has cost thousands of lives and more than half a million people from their homes.
The latest of these violent encounters happened on 14 February when armed men killed more than 30 people including at least 10 children in the village of Ntumbo in the Northwest region, one of two English-speaking regions in the country.
“We join the Catholic Bishops of Cameroon and across the world, human rights groups, and several other concerned bodies and individuals in condemning the Cameroonian government’s continuous use of force as well as the violence perpetrated by militia groups that has led to loss of innocent lives,” the major superiors said.
They further called on President Paul Biya and his government “to go beyond repressive measures and take responsibility in order to find more lasting solutions to the crisis through mediated talks”, such as the Swiss initiative supported by a group of Catholic bishops from around the world.
“We highly urge all parties to take part in these talks to give a chance to lasting peace. We further call on the Government of Cameroon to ensure the respect of human rights and freedom of expression and manifestation,” they said.
JCAM lauded the effort of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government, which announced a campaign, Silencing the Guns by 2020, a follow up to an earlier campaign in 2013 to end all conflicts and violence in Africa by this year. They added that the Jesuit Panafrican Justice and Ecology Network is looking for ways to collaborate with the efforts of the AU to accelerate peace and justice across Africa.
The major superiors echoed the words of Pope Francis in his message for the 53rd World Day of Peace on 1 January that: “Peace can be achieved only on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future shaped by interdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family of today and tomorrow.”
Read the full statement here.