Abstract
Genocide must be stopped everywhere in the world and Cameroon is a good place to start. Genocidal criminal activities can cause death as well as physical and mental injuries. Forcing children to move out of their home, an attempt to commit genocide, conspiring and/or incitement to commit genocide and complicity in genocide are all covered under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. Cameroon has experienced genocide and attacks by the Central African Republic are one example. The international community needs to intervene to stop the genocide and to organize legitimate elections. In order to promote peace, the international community must intervene to stop the killings and then aid in the organization elections. Cameroon is a comparatively stable country but it is not governed democratically. Therefore a working democracy in which all political parties can participate must be created. Only the creation of a Parliament which is a proportionally representative government can the goal of eliminating genocide be accomplished.
The Challenge of Genocide in Central Africa
The prevention of international genocide is a global issue of utmost importance. Genocide was defined by countries from around the world during the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. Article II of the convention explains that the mental and physical elements must both be present to establish the crime of genocide (“1948 Convention”, Art. II1). The mental element is defined as the intent to wipe out part of a group or all the members of a group based on their religion, race or ethnicity. The physical features of genocide include five elements “genocide, conspiracy, incitement, attempt and complicity” (1948 Convention”, Art. II2).
Although genocide is generally considered as causing death or physical harm forcing children to move out of their home is also included (“1948 Convention”). Activities that are categorized as criminal acts include not only carrying out genocide but also attempting genocide, conspiring and/or incitement to commit genocide and complicity in genocide (“1948 Convention”).
The Republic of Cameroon is located in middle Africa with only a small gulf comprising access to the Atlantic Ocean (Neba 1999). In 2013 the population was reported to be about 20,129,878 (“Cameroon” 2013). The demographics of the country are out of balance because 40.3 percent of the population is aged 14 years old and less while 20.4 percent are 25 to 54 years of age; only about 8 percent of the population is aged 55 and over (“Cameroon” 2013). A large diversity of ethnic groups reside there which is demonstrated by the fact that 24 major African languages are spoken along with the official languages of French and English. (“Cameroon” 2013). These factors increase the complexity of governing Cameroon.
Tragically Cameroon is subject to attacks from its neighbor to the east, the Central African Republic (CAR). CAR does not have a stable government and is causing genocide so that many central Africans are moving to Cameroon for help. Preventing all genocidal activities from physical and mental harm to transferring children must be stopped. The boundary between CAR and Cameroon was delineated by law but CAR does not respect the border. In order to promote peace, the international community must intervene to stop the killings and then aid in the organization elections.
Creating a legitimate democracy in Cameroon is the only pathway to successfully bring an end to genocide in the region. Instead of one political party dominating all the others all political parties need to have a say in the running of the country. A solution would be to seat members of political parties proportionally in the legislative bodies in that way empowering the people and the government to work toward a solution to the problem of genocide. A democratic Cameroon must allow the people or the legitimate representatives of the people to choose the prime minister, positions in the judiciary and other key positions.
Cameroon has an opportunity to positively affect a positive change. The goal of stopping all genocide and working to reach the goal can make Cameroon a beacon of hope to all the people in Central Africa. The challenge is complex because a fair and transparent judicial system must be developed. Confronting the problems created due to the flow of refugees in Cameroon inevitably affects the national economy and a need for budgeting to include the necessary aids while at the same time meeting the needs of the Cameroonian population. Only the creation of a Parliament with a proportionally representative government can the goal of eliminating genocide be accomplished.
Works Cited
“Countries of the World – 30 years of CIA World Fact Books: (1982–2013)” cited by “Cameroon: People of the World 2013”. 11 March 2013. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. <http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/cameroon/cameroon_people.html>
Russell, Ton, Brizee, Allen, Angeli, Elizabeth, Keck, Russell and Joshua M. Paiz, “MLA formatting and style.” Purdue OWL, 19 June 2013. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. <owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/>
“1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide”. Prevent Genocide International. n.s. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.<http://www.preventgenocide.org/genocide/officialtext-printerfriendly.htm>
Neba, Aaron. Modern Geography of the Republic of Cameroon. 3rd ed. Bamenda: Neba Publishers, 1999.
