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Cameroon

Monthly Event Reports

November 2023 | Massacre in south-western village marks a month of increasing violence

After several months in which the level of violence in the long-running conflict between anglophone separatists and the central government of Cameroon had decreased, there was a significant increase in violence in November. In one particularly notable event on 6 November, gunmen identified in press reports as anglophone separatists killed at least 20 people in the village of Egbekaw, in south-western Cameroon. The attack took place on the 41st anniversary of the beginning of President Paul Biya’s rule.

May 2023 | Increasing violence between separatists and government

Three incidents in May indicated an increasing intensity in the conflict between Anglophone separatists and the central government in Cameroon that has been ongoing since 2017. On 2 May, a group of 15 separatists was reported to have attacked a military outpost in a village 40 kilometres from the city of Douala, killing five soldiers and one civilian. This attack was the closest yet to the country’s major port and economic hub. On 8 May, a journalist named Anye Nde Nsoh was murdered in Bamenda in what the separatists later claimed was a case of mistaken identity. A separatist leader subsequently threatened to arrest any journalist who protested against Nsoh’s killing. This is the third murder of a journalist in Cameroon in 2023. Two weeks later, a group of 30 women who had protested against a rebel group’s collection of taxes from the local population in the Nort-West region village of Kedjom Keku were kidnapped and mistreated. They were released after being held for one week.

March 2023 | Ruling party wins all seats in Senate in indirect election

An indirect election for seats in the Senate of Cameroon was held on 12 March. Of the 100 seats in the Senate, 30 are filled by direct appointments by the President, and the remaining 70 are filled through this indirect election. The members of municipal and regional councils constitute an electoral college that selects these 70 members of the Senate to represent the ten regions of the country. Following its broad victory in the last regional elections (2020), the party of President Paul Biya (the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement -- RDPC) won all 70 of the seats. It is expected that President Biya will also select members of this party for the remaining 30 seats. Challenges to the election filed by three opposition parties were dismissed by the Constitutional Council on 21 March. The representation of women is likely to slightly improve as 26 women won seats (up from 22 in the last election).

January 2023 | Prominent journalist Martinez Zogo abducted and murdered

Martinez Zogo, editor-in-chief and broadcaster at the radio station Amplitude FM, was reported to have been abducted on 17 January. His body was found five days later, and showed signs of torture. Zogo was known for reporting on allegations of corruption against prominent individuals in Cameroon. Several people were arrested in connection with Zogo’s murder in early February, including senior officials in the state security apparatus, and the owner of a different media organization. Despite the rapid progress of the investigation, Zogo’s murder may intimidate other journalists in the country. Zogo was the first journalist who was murdered since Samuel Wazizi was killed in 2019.

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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
27 224 260
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
Prime Minister Joseph Ngute (since 2019)
Head of government party
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post, Party Block Vote, List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
33.9%
Women in upper chamber
26.0%
Last legislative election
2020
Head of state
President Paul Biya
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
16/05/2018
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
67.86%
Population Tooltip
27 224 260
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
Prime Minister Joseph Ngute (since 2019)
Head of government party
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post, Party Block Vote, List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
33.9%
Women in upper chamber
26.0%
Last legislative election
2020
Head of state
President Paul Biya
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
16/05/2018
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
67.86%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
Signatory
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
Signatory
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Signatory
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
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Oct
Nov
Dec
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Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

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Representation
Representation
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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