The Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Cameroon: A Legal Appraisal

Human rights defenders are individuals or organizations who work to promote and protect human rights and democracy using peaceful means. Although most work in some specific thematic areas, they promote and protect human and people’s rights on basis of equality and non-discrimination and serve as watchdogs to government actions. Ironically, although, they work to protect the rights of others, they are most often abandoned and not protected by anybody, thus making them vulnerable to attacks, kidnaps, arbitrary arrest and detention and at time killed. The situation of human rights defenders in Cameroon is further exacerbated by the conflict or crisis in Northwest, South west and Far North regions of Cameroon. The situation becomes precarious on women human rights defenders and defenders working on LGBTQI rights.  This article critically examines the effectiveness of the protection of human rights defenders in Cameroon given the slippery nature of the legal and political environment. The research relies on the appraisal of existing legal, institutional and political initiatives taken to protect human rights defenders as well as the short comings of the initiatives. Thus, reference is made to case law jurisprudence of Cameroonian courts, African commission and other relevant decisive human rights bodies on human rights defenders. This paper concludes that, although enactment of a specific law on the situation of human rights defenders in Cameroon does not guarantee effectiveness in the protection of defenders, it is however a necessary step towards protection and adherence to treaty obligations in promotion and protection of human rights generally and a measure of ensuring accountability and means of bring perpetrators to book. Thus, the papers opts for adoption of positive affirmative measures to create an enabling legal and political environment for human rights defenders as they remain a necessary evil to checking government action and policies.