Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
Tensions remain high in the ongoing affair involving the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (REDHAC). Lawyer Alice Nkom, board president of this association, was issued a third summon on Tuesday, December 17, by the Wouri Prefect. She is expected to appear at his office on Thursday, December 19, at 10 a.m., regarding “a matter concerning her.”
This new invitation follows the abrupt cancellation of a meeting initially scheduled for Monday, December 16, between the lawyer and the administrative authority, that was earlier announced on Monday by Lebledparle.com. The Wouri Prefect justified the cancellation by citing the need for a deeper investigation of the case.
An ongoing deadlock
Since the attempted suspension of REDHAC by the Minister of Territorial Administration on December 6, Alice Nkom has been at the center of controversy. Her refusal to comply with the closure order and her breaking of the seals placed on the organization’s premises as well as calling on the government to go through the legal route of suspension established by the Cameron’s 1990 law on freedom, has drawn strong reactions from administrative authorities.
This third invite signals a new chapter in the standoff between the lawyer and the administrative authorities. The reasons behind the Prefect’s persistence remain unclear but some interpret it as an attempt to put pressure on the human rights lawyer, while others see it as an effort to clarify the legal situation.
This case raises significant concerns about the freedom of association and human rights advocacy in Cameroon. The suspension of REDHAC and the legal actions taken against Alice Nkom are viewed by many human rights observers as a serious violation of fundamental freedom, to which they are calling on the government to provide civil society organizations with an environment in which to operate freely and flourish instead of harassing rights group.
