Cameroon was yesterday accused of forcibly returning some 100 000 Nigerian refugees in breach of international agreements, putting them in danger from Boko Haram Islamists.
Human Rights Watch said Nigerians who had sought refuge across the border because of the Islamist violence had been abused, attacked and even sexually exploited by soldiers.
Conditions in the only official camp for Nigerians were poor, free movement was restricted and refugees were denied proper contact with UN officials, it added. “Since early 2015, the Cameroonian authorities have summarily deported at least 100 000 Nigerians living in remote border areas back to war, displacement and destitution in Nigeria’s Borno state,” the rights monitor said in a new report.
“In carrying out these deportations, Cameroonian soldiers have frequently used extreme physical violence.The Cameroonian military’s aim seems to be to clear Nigerians out of the country and dissuade other would-be asylum seekers from seeking Cameroon’s protection,” it added. HRW called it a “flagrant breach of the principle of non-refoulement”, which stops refugees from being forced back to a country where they are liable to be persecuted. – AFP News.
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| President Paul Biya's Cameroon Under Fire For Returning Refugees |
“In carrying out these deportations, Cameroonian soldiers have frequently used extreme physical violence.The Cameroonian military’s aim seems to be to clear Nigerians out of the country and dissuade other would-be asylum seekers from seeking Cameroon’s protection,” it added. HRW called it a “flagrant breach of the principle of non-refoulement”, which stops refugees from being forced back to a country where they are liable to be persecuted. – AFP News.
