Armed conflict in NW, SW: Red Cross urges belligerents to respect civilian status of population.

He made the appeal in Yaounde Tuesday, September 26. This was during a press briefing which was also attended by ICRC Safety Coordinator, Daddy Oumarou.

The presser was aimed at presenting the ICRC’s work and its contribution to alleviating the suffering of populations affected by ongoing humanitarian crises in the North West, South West and Far North Regions, during the first half of 2023. 

Bonamy said their activities have been targeting the populations who have been severely affected by the consequences of conflict and armed violence in communities in the three crisis-stricken Regions.

Going by the ICRC official, when the population is not direct victims of armed violence, they are sometimes compelled to move to escape it, lost contact with family members or deprived of their freedom. 

He said despite being nonpartisan in the armed conflict in the two English-speaking Regions, the civilian population sometimes become targets of rape, kidnap for ransom, human rights abuses and even shot dead by either soldiers or separatist fighters.

“In these regions, many people and communities live in a precarious humanitarian situation, with only partial access to food, drinking water, healthcare and education,” he said.

What ICRC has been doing 

Based in Yaounde since 1992, Bonamy explained that the ICRC's regional delegation, in line with its mandate, has been responding to the consequences of armed conflict and violence through its sub-delegations in Bamenda and Buea for the armed conflict in the two English-speaking Regions, and Maroua and Kousseri for the Boko Haram incursions in the Far North Region.

“Its actions aim not only to respond to urgent needs, but also to strengthen the resilience of communities. The ICRC strives to maintain a permanent and confidential dialogue with all parties in order to promote the respect for international humanitarian law,” he added.

Emphasising on the organisation’s impartial, neutral and independent position, the regional boss of the ICRC noted that their sole mission is humanitarian-to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, and providing them with assistance. 

He continued that the international organization, founded in 1863, works to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by armed conflict or violence in Cameroon, just as it does worldwide to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening international humanitarian law.

In this light, some 582 soldiers, gendarmes and police officers have been trained on their responsibility to respect international humanitarian law and the international human rights laws. 

“The ICRC strives to maintain a constant, direct or indirect, confidential dialogue with all parties in order to share its humanitarian concerns and remind them of their responsibility to respect international humanitarian law and all relevant bodies of law,” Bamony said.

He added: “As the guardian of IHL, the ICRC also promotes it through training sessions for arms bearers, reminding them of its essential provisions and helping them to integrate it into the education of their personnel”. 

Other actions of the ICRC include focusing on promoting a legal framework that is more protective of victims and more in line with international standards, by encouraging the authorities to ratify and implement international norms designed to ensure respect for human life and dignity.

With family members being forced to separate as a result of the armed violence, the ICRC together with the Cameroon Red Cross, CRC, have strived to re-establish and maintain contact between separated family members as well as providing psychosocial and economic support to 306 family members of missing persons within the first half of this year.  

Meanwhile, access to healthcare remains a challenge in the regions affected by conflict as many inhabitants are unable to receive medical care due to health centers being closed, damaged or the medical staff absent due to insecurity. 

“In the absence of means of transport, evacuation of urgent cases is complicated. It is for these reasons that the ICRC supports 12 health structures where it ensures that the most vulnerable people like pregnant women and children, receive appropriate care,” Bonamy declared. 

He further explained that they also ensure that vital surgical emergencies are dealt with in certain referral hospitals, providing medicines and medical equipment to ensure free care, and supports the training of health personnel.