Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2018
144. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the assessment that has been made of the circumstances surrounding the death of a person (details supplied) in the town of Bamenda, Cameroon on 30 October 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46584/18]
View answerI am aware of the case of a death late last month of a US citizen in the town of Bamenda in Cameroon. The person in question had been in Cameroon for 12 days when he was shot in a crossfire between Government forces and separatist elements, part of the ongoing violence in that country relating to the desire of certain English speaking communities to secede.
The circumstances of the killing remain disputed. Official Cameroon sources say that the person in question was killed by secessionists planning an attack on a nearby university, and that four secessionists involved were subsequently killed by Government forces. Secessionists allege that Government forces were to blame for the killing.
I understand that the US State Department is providing assistance to the family of the deceased to return to the US.
While Ireland does not have an Embassy in Cameroon, our Embassy in Nigeria continues to monitor the situation closely. My Department is engaged in monitoring in the evolving humanitarian situation and its regional impact, via the UN Resident Coordinator, UNOCHA, the EU delegation in Yaoundé, and in contacts with regional bodies.
In this context, I recall the EEAS statement of 28 September on the situation in Cameroon, which called for constructive and inclusive dialogue for a sustainable solution. It remains the responsibility of the Government of Cameroon to create a secure environment in which all citizens are protected from violence, and where international human rights standards, including protection for minority groups, are upheld.
