France welcomes legal proceedings on massacre of Cameroonian villagers

24 Avril 2020

Paris, France, April 24 (Infosplusgabon) - France has welcomed the opening by Cameroonian authorities of legal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators of the massacre of civilians in Ngarbuh, a village in the northwestern province of Cameroon, which resulted in the deaths of several residents last February.

"France takes note of the conclusions of the mixed commission of inquiry set up by the Cameroonian authorities, following the violence which resulted in the death of several inhabitants of a village in the northwestern province of Cameroon (Ngarbuh), including children, on February 14. It welcomes the opening of legal proceedings," said Agnès von der Mühll, spokesperson for the French foreign ministry on Thursday.

Under pressure from the international community, the Cameroonian Presidency set up a commission of inquiry made up of army officials and independent observers, which on Wednesday gave its conclusion to the involvement of four soldiers in the massacre of civilians in Ngarbuh.

In addition to the four soldiers, ten other civilians, members of the vigilance committee who accompanied the soldiers in this operation, were also charged.

“The commitment of the Cameroonian authorities to fight  impunity is a priority to allow a lasting resolution of the crisis in the north-west and south-west regions. France recalls that it is the duty of the defence and security forces, including in conflict zones, to guarantee the security and protection of civilians," added Agnès von der Mühll.

Ngarbuh, a village in the department of Donga-Mantung, is located in a province populated by the English-speaking minority in north-western Cameroon.

The massacre of 22 civilians including 14 children and women on February 14, followed a clash between Cameroonian security forces and English-speaking secessionist rebels.

The Cameroonian opposition and people interviewed by NGOs accused Cameroonian soldiers of being behind the killing, but the government had denied these statements, maintaining that it was an "unfortunate accident" after a confrontation between the army and the rebels.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/PLM/GABON2020

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