Society

At audience with Human Rights Chair: Int’l Red Cross Committee reiterates protecting civilians, priority.

L-R, Prof James Mouangue Kobila, Stéphane Bonamy

The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC has stressed that protecting civilian populations in times of armed conflict remains a major priority.
The declaration was made by the head of the ICRC’s regional delegation for Central Africa, Stéphane Bonamy.

He was speaking recently in Yaounde during an audience with the Chairman of Cameroon’s Human Rights Commission, Prof. James Mouangue Kobila.

The meeting, which lasted for over two hours permitted the two personalities to discuss on the management of armed conflicts, the protection of civilians and the ICRC’s action in emergency situations.

Stéphane Bonamy speaking to the press after the audience explained that the reason for his visit was so they could on ways to curb or mitigate the consequences of conflict.

“Ultimately, we have common objectives, which are to find the best possible ways of protecting the dignity of human beings and the civilian population in situations where they are endangered by weapons and armed conflict,” Bonamy stated.

According to him, this protection materialises in various ways in line with the organization’s areas of interest.

“Firstly, there is inclusive dialogue with all parties to the conflict to remind them of their obligations, in particular the protection of certain categories of people such as civilians, medical missions and detainees among others,” the head of the ICRC’s regional delegation for Central Africa said.

He added that another aspect of the ICRC’s activities is assistance.

Bonamy pointed out that armed conflict has a number of socio-economic consequences whereby access to basic amenities such as food, housing, healthcare, drinking water and education among others becomes problematic because the networks are no longer maintained, and the slowed mobility of people impact the economy.

The head of the ICRC’s regional delegation for Central Africa indicated that the ICRC was working in these areas, notably by working on water networks, supporting health centers and hospitals to promote access to healthcare.

“We’re trying to support farmers in their resilience, and we’re helping them find a way back to self-sufficiency, once the guns have fallen silent,” Bonamy underscored.

At the close of the audience, the ICRC regional head praised Cameroon’s efforts in the promotion of human rights, and encouraged the Commission to continue its work.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3228 of Friday September 13, 2024