Cameroon: after two explosions in Yaoundé, the provisions of the prefect of Mfoundi are debated
Photo of the Mokolo market, in Yaoundé, October 11, 2018. (illustration photo) © AP - Sunday Alamba
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In Cameroon, after the explosion of two homemade bombs in the space of ten days at the Mokolo market in Yaoundé, the capital, (Saturday 2 and Tuesday 12 July), the prefect took measures criticized by part of civil society.
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In his decree, the prefect of Mfoundi prohibits the abandonment of parcels, plastic bags and packaging in public places.
It also announces that the "
unjustified detention
" of nuts, balls, bolts, nails or pieces of iron will be considered "
a dangerous preparation
".
And above all, he affirms that any “
offender
” will be declared “
suspect
” as well as “
anyone who rejoices in the difficulties of the State or wishes to see the State in difficulty
.
»
Joined by RFI, Cyrille Rolande Béchon, executive director of the civil society organization New Human Rights-Cameroon (NDH-Cameroon), believes that the prefect of Mfoundi goes beyond his prerogatives and that this last provision is an attack on the freedom of opinion and expression:
It is difficult to understand how someone who gives his opinion by talking about the difficulties of the state can be considered, from the point of view of the prefect of Mfouni, as being a "suspect".
It is a serious threat that we denounce, that we decry.
We call on the administrative authority to do its job, which is to ensure the safety of Cameroonians and not to violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of Cameroonians.
We expect this administrative authority and the Defense and Security Forces to communicate and inform Cameroonians about what could have happened, who planted such a bomb and about what is being done to ensure that Cameroonians are safe, instead of making exits that leave us perplexed about what the
administrative authority research.
»
The first explosion left four injured, the second two injured, according to the authorities who, during the first explosion, had implicated “
obscurantist forces working to destabilize Cameroon
.
No claims were made.
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