Cameroon

Grave Violations

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[fusion_counters_box columns="1" color="var(--awb-color8)" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" title_size="35" icon="" icon_size="" icon_top="" body_color="" body_size="" border_color="rgba(183,201,183,0)" animation_offset="" margin_top="" margin_right="50px" margin_bottom="" margin_left="50px" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id=""][fusion_counter_box value="75" delimiter="" unit="" unit_pos="suffix" icon="" direction="up"](44 killed - 31 maimed; 25 girls - 48 boys - 2 sex unknown)[/fusion_counter_box][/fusion_counters_box]

[fusion_counters_box columns="1" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" color="var(--awb-color8)" border_color="rgba(201,201,201,0)" margin_right="50px" margin_left="50px" title_size="35"][fusion_counter_box value="1" unit_pos="suffix" direction="up"]children (1 girl, 0 boys)[/fusion_counter_box][/fusion_counters_box]

[fusion_counters_box columns="1" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" color="var(--awb-color8)" border_color="rgba(183,201,183,0)" margin_right="50px" margin_left="50px" title_size="35"][fusion_counter_box unit_pos="suffix" direction="up" value="22"](18 schools, 4 hospitals)[/fusion_counter_box][/fusion_counters_box]

[fusion_counters_box columns="1" color="var(--awb-color8)" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" title_size="35" icon="" icon_size="" icon_top="" body_color="" body_size="" border_color="rgba(183,201,183,0)" animation_offset="" margin_top="" margin_right="50px" margin_bottom="" margin_left="50px" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id=""][fusion_counter_box value="55" delimiter="" unit="" unit_pos="suffix" icon="" direction="up"]children (33 girls, 14 boys, 8 sex unknown)[/fusion_counter_box][/fusion_counters_box]

[fusion_counters_box columns="1" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" color="var(--awb-color8)" border_color="rgba(183,201,183,0)" margin_right="50px" margin_left="50px" title_size="35"][fusion_counter_box value="18" unit_pos="suffix" direction="up"]verified incidents [/fusion_counter_box][/fusion_counters_box]

*The information below is based on the Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (A/76/871-S/2022/493) issued on 11 July 2022. Violations that occurred in previous years but were verified in 2021 have been included in the totals above.

Developments & Concerns

Progress

Progress with the validation of a handover protocol for the transfer of children allegedly associated with armed groups to civilian child protection actors.

Challenges

Detention of children for their alleged association with armed groups.

Continued grave violations in the North-West and South-West Regions, particularly the denial of humanitarian access, including the detention of humanitarian personnel and attacks on schools, including the killing and abduction of teachers and students.

Recommendations

To the Government:

To extend training to all defence and security forces.

To ensure that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes consider the specific needs and rights of children formerly associated with armed groups and to allow child protection actors access to all disarmament, demobilization and reintegration centres.

To strengthen the protection of children, including by ensuring accountability for grave violations against children.

To treat children primarily as victims, with detention as a measure of last resort, and to release all children in its custody.

To adopt a handover protocol for children associated with armed groups to civilian child protection actors.

To all parties:

To immediately cease all violations and protect schools and hospitals and prevent their military use.

To encourage Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups in the Far North Region to put an end to violations and immediately release associated children.