France continues to stand by Cameroon

PARIS: France said yesterday its defence co-operation with Cameroon was continuing a day after the US said it was halting some military assistance to the West African country over allegations of human-rights violations by its security forces.

“France is bound by a defence partnership agreement that it conducts according to the international standards,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Agnes von der Muhll said.

“In accordance with international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict, this co-operation is also intended to help Cameroon’s defence and security forces combat terrorism, especially against Boko Haram in the north of the country, while protecting the people. “This co-operation continues.” Cameroon has co-operated closely with the West in the fight against Islamist militant group Boko Haram in West and Central Africa.

But rights groups have accused authorities of using the fight against Boko Haram to crack down on political opponents, and make arbitrary arrests and torture people.

Authorities arrested opposition leader Maurice Kamto last month, accusing him of mobilising dissent against President Paul Biya, who has ruled the country since 1982.

Biya has been accused by the opposition and rights groups of cracking down in two Anglophone regions to root out armed separatists vying for independence.

A State Department official on Wednesday said the US’s decision to terminate some military programmes and halt delivery of some equipment was to push Cameroon to show greater transparency in investigating credible allegations of gross violations of human rights security forces.

France, which has significant business interests in its former colony and relies on it to fight against Islamist militants, has been careful not to overly criticise the government’s handling of the crisis.

It has urged the Cameroonian government to engage in dialogue to stop an escalation in violence.