An adoption following the visit to Cameroon earlier this month, a delegation of elected US, led by Karen Bass , deputy of the Democratic Party. It was she who, on May 7, had introduced the proposal that led to this resolution.
The text has five points. Representatives room:
1- "Strongly condemns the abuses committed in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon by government security forces and armed groups, including extrajudicial executions and illegal detentions, the use of force against civilians and non-violent protesters, as well as the violation of the freedom of the press, the speech and the gathering",
2- "affirms that the United States continues to hold the Government of Cameroon accountable for the respect of the rights of all citizens, regardless of their political views or beliefs or the regions in which they reside, in accordance with Cameroon's international obligations and to Cameroon's own Constitution",
3- "Urges all parties, including political opposition groups, to exercise restraint and to ensure that demonstrations remain peaceful" ,
4- "urges the Cameroonian Government to engage in a broad dialogue without preconditions and to make a credible and total effort to work with the religious and community leaders of the English-speaking region to resolve the grievances, to seek non-violent solutions to resolve conflict and put in place constitutional reforms that can guarantee the concerns of minorities, such as the reconstitution of a federal system" ,
This point includes several clarifications, in particular that which asks to "free the leaders and the members of the party of the Movement of the Renaissance of Cameroon ( Maurice Kamto and his followers) arrested following their peaceful demonstrations and to make sure that this party, like the others, can participate without hindrance in the next municipal, parliamentary and regional elections" ,
5- "engage in a dialogue without preconditions, with representatives of the Cameroonian government, as well as civil society and religious leaders, to peacefully express grievances and to credibly engage in non-violent efforts to resolve the conflict.
After the House of Representatives, this resolution will be forwarded to the Senate before perhaps its adoption by the US Congress which should then forward the text to President Donald Trump.
Fred BIHINA