Cameroon has denied allegations by an international human rights watchdog that it forcibly returned about 100,000 Nigerian refugees in breach of international law, AFP news agency reports.
On Wednesday we reported accusations by Human Rights Watch that Cameroon had put the refugees in danger from Boko Haram militants.
However, according to AFP, Cameroon government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary has issued a formal and categorical denial, saying the report was not based on anything.
I should like to remind Human Rights Watch of two things. Firstly, we have today almost 500,000 refugees in our country…
Secondly, it is not Cameroon’s role to take in refugees from around the globe.”
The allegations of torture and notably sexual aggression [by troops] constitute a shameful lie”
The information minister is reported to have further told AFP that Cameroonian soldiers received moral training before going into theatres of operation and that anyone caught violating the guidelines would be punished.
Until a soldier is caught red-handed engaged in sexual assault all of this is just Human Rights Watch fantasy,”