III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 733 

Calling on the Government of Cameroon, armed separatist groups, and all 

citizens to respect human rights and adopt nonviolent approaches to 

conflict resolution. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 19, 2018 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. BOOKER, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the Government of Cameroon, armed separatist 

groups, and all citizens to respect human rights and 

adopt nonviolent approaches to conflict resolution. 

Whereas the Government of Cameroon has repeatedly restricted freedoms of expression nationwide by shutting 

down the internet, harassing and detaining journalists, 

refusing licenses to independent media, and intensifying 

political attacks against the independent press; 

Whereas, following Cameroon’s October 7, 2018, elections, 

the African Union Election Observation Mission stated 

that ‘‘the current framework needs to be strengthened in 

order to safeguard the democratic principles of separation 

of powers, fairness, and independence and impartiality,’’ 

which the Department of State echoed, emphasizing the 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•SRES 733 IS 

need to ‘‘respect the rule of law, resolve peacefully any 

disputes through established legal channels, and avoid 

hate speech’’. 

Whereas Anglophone Cameroonians have long felt 

marginalized by official actions and policies of the Government of Cameroon; 

Whereas, beginning in late 2016, protests organized by lawyers, teachers, and students were violently repressed by 

the Government of Cameroon, leading to numerous 

deaths and imprisonments, including journalists and lawyers; 

Whereas, in January 2017, the Government of Cameroon ordered the suspension of Internet services in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, the suspension 

lasting for 93 days and having a major, debilitating effect 

on the economy, educational institutions, freedom of expression, and social communication of the region’s residents; 

Whereas the conflict escalated in late September and early 

October 2017, when Cameroonian security forces brutally 

cracked down on unarmed civilians peacefully demonstrating, resulting in at least 20 people dying and leaving over 100 injured; 

Whereas, in 2017, armed separatist groups launched a campaign to pressure school officials in the Anglophone region to go on strike as part of a boycott against the Government of Cameroon, and began burning school buildings and threatening education officials with violence if 

they did not comply with a boycott of schools in the 

Anglophone regions; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•SRES 733 IS 

Whereas human rights monitors have documented armed 

groups killing traditional leaders and targeting civilians 

who are perceived to be supporting or working with the 

Government of Cameroon, and reports indicate that 

armed militants have killed Cameroonian security force 

personnel; 

Whereas numerous credible reports from human rights monitors, including the United Nations High Commissioner 

for Human Rights, have documented the excessive use of 

force by Government of Cameroon security forces against 

Cameroonians living in the Anglophone regions, including 

the burning of villages, the use of live ammunition 

against protestors, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, and sexual abuse; 

Whereas the Department of State has expressed serious concern over the Government of Cameroon’s use of force to 

restrict free expression, and the use of violence against 

individuals protesting the Government’s policies in the 

Anglophone regions; 

Whereas both the Government of Cameroon security forces 

and armed groups have been documented targeting and 

brutally killing civilians in the Anglophone regions, including women and children; 

Whereas United States citizen Charles Wesco was senselessly 

killed near the town of Bamenda, Cameroon, on October 

30, 2018, after being caught in what the Department of 

State has characterized as ‘‘cross fire’’; 

Whereas the United Nations Office for the Coordination of 

Humanitarian Affairs stated in November 2018 that at 

least 437,000 people were internally displaced in areas 

affected by the Anglophone conflict; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•SRES 733 IS 

Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that it had registered more 

than 29,000 Cameroonian refugees from the Anglophone 

regions in Nigeria as of late October 2018; 

Whereas 47 Anglophone activists were forcibly returned from 

Nigerian custody to Cameroonian authorities, despite 

many having reportedly submitted asylum claims in Nigeria; and 

Whereas 10 of the 47 individuals forcibly returned from Nigeria now face charges punishable by the death penalty, 

while the other 37 reportedly remain in detention without 

charge: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) urges all parties to the conflict in Cam3 eroon, including political opposition groups, to– 

4 (A) agree to an immediate ceasefire; 

5 (B) allow for unfettered humanitarian as6 sistance; 

7 (C) exercise restraint and ensure that pro8 tests remain peaceful; and 

9 (D) engage in inclusive dialogue with civil 

10 society to get to a political solution that re11 spects the rights and freedoms of the people of 

12 Cameroon; 

13 (2) strongly condemns the abuses committed by 

14 the Government of Cameroon, security forces, and 

15 armed separatist groups in the Anglophone regions, 

16 including extrajudicial killings and detentions, the 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
5 

•SRES 733 IS 

1 use of force against nonviolent civilians and 

2 protestors, and violations of the freedoms of press, 

3 expression, and assembly; 

4 (3) affirms that the United States Government 

5 continues to hold the Government of Cameroon re6 sponsible for upholding the rights of all citizens, re7 gardless of political views or beliefs or the regions in 

8 which they reside; 

9 (4) urges the Government of Cameroon to— 

10 (A) initiate a credible, inclusive, good, and 

11 full faith effort to work with religious and com12 munity leaders in the Anglophone region to en13 gage in meaningful dialogue and address griev14 ances and seek nonviolent solutions to resolve 

15 the conflict, including possibly involving an 

16 independent mediator in such negotiations; 

17 (B) respect the fundamental rights of all 

18 Cameroonian citizens, including political activ19 ists and journalists; 

20 (C) ensure that any security operations are 

21 conducted in accordance with international 

22 human rights standards, including efforts to en23 sure security forces only use force under appro24 priate circumstances; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
6 

•SRES 733 IS 

1 (D) investigate all allegations of human 

2 rights violations committed in the Anglophone 

3 regions and take the necessary measures to pre4 vent arbitrary detention, torture, enforced dis5 appearances, deaths in custody, and inhumane 

6 prison conditions; 

7 (E) to promote the rule of law through 

8 more transparent accountability mechanisms; 

9 (F) promptly charge or release all those 

10 detained in the context of the Anglophone cri11 sis, including all Anglophone activists arrested 

12 in Nigeria, and ensure that any future detain13 ees are treated with due process, in accordance 

14 with Cameroon’s penal code and international 

15 human rights norms; 

16 (G) ensure that detainees are treated fairly 

17 and humanely, with proper judicial proceedings, 

18 including a registry of those detained by the 

19 Cameroonian security forces, and with full ac20 cess to legal resources; 

21 (H) release human rights defenders, civil 

22 society activists, political prisoners, journalists, 

23 trade unionists, teachers, and any other citizens 

24 who have been arbitrarily arrested and detained 

25 without trial or charge; and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
7 

•SRES 733 IS 

1 (I) work with United States law enforce2 ment to thoroughly investigate and prosecute 

3 Charles Wesco’s murder; and 

4 (5) urges the separatist groups in Anglophone 

5 areas to— 

6 (A) engage with government officials to 

7 peacefully express grievances and credibly en8 gage in nonviolent efforts to resolve the conflict; 

9 (B) immediately stop committing human 

10 rights abuses, including killings of civilians, tor11 ture, kidnapping, and extortion; 

12 (C) end the school boycott and immediately 

13 cease attacks on schools, teachers, and edu14 cation officials, and allow for the safe return of 

15 all students to class; and 

16 (D) immediately release all civilians ille17 gally detained or kidnapped. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS