Human Rights Watch (HRW) has strongly criticized the sentences handed down by the Yaoundé military court to those responsible for the Ngarbuh massacre, which took place in February 2020 in the Northwest region of Cameroon. The human rights organization believes that these convictions fall far short of meeting the demands of justice and reparation for the victims and their families.
On February 14, 2020, the village of Ngarbuh was the scene of a killing that claimed the lives of 21 civilians, including women and children. Last week, the military court found three soldiers and a pro-government militia member guilty, sentencing them to prison terms ranging from five to ten years. While these convictions mark an official recognition of the facts, HRW considers them insufficient, particularly due to the lack of prosecution against potentially implicated hierarchical superiors.
"The verdict reflects a lack of willingness on the part of the authorities to hold senior officers who may have given the orders accountable," said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. She emphasizes that the lack of investigation into the chain of command and the refusal to grant reparations to the families of the victims "aggravate the suffering of the relatives of the victims".
HRW regrets that the trial did not fully establish responsibility or provide adequate reparation to the bereaved families. The organization insists on the need to investigate the role of senior military officials in this massacre and to ensure that victims receive fair and equitable compensation. In a context of persistent tensions in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, HRW fears that this judicial decision will further undermine public confidence in the ability of institutions to deliver justice and combat impunity for human rights violations.
The Ngarbuh case remains a symbol of the challenges Cameroon faces in ensuring the protection of civilians and bringing to justice the perpetrators of human rights violations, particularly in the context of the conflict in the Anglophone regions. Human Rights Watch continues to call for an impartial and thorough investigation into the events in Ngarbuh, as well as concrete measures to ensure justice and reparation for the victims.
