Case CMR 040408.1_ENG
Follow-up of case CMR 040408
Whereabouts located/ Torture and ill-treatment/ Forced disappearances/ Fear for personal safety
Geneva, 15 April 2008
The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has received new information regarding the following situation in Cameroun.
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Movement for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (Mouvement pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme et des Libertés, MDDHL), a member of OMCT SOS-Torture network, that Mr. Bouba Ousmanou was located and is currently detained at the Gendarmerie Brigade of Maroua (brigade de gendarmerie de Maroua).
According to the information received, the victim’s mother was informed by phone by an unidentified person that Mr. Bouba Ousmanou had been consign to the Commander of the Gendarmerie Company of Maroua (Commandant de la compagnie de gendarmerie), apparently for the need of the investigation, and that he was detained in the cell of the territorial brigade. On 8 April 2008, Mr. Bouba Ousmanou’s mother, along with a member of the MDDHL, went there and managed to see the victim.
According to the same information, Mr. Bouba Ousmanou had been transferred, on 7 April 2008, to the Gendarmerie Brigade of Maroua after having been detained ten days in the premises of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (Bataillon d’Intervention Rapide, BIR) n°3 of Maroua, during which he would have been subjected to acts of torture and ill-treatment. He would have been blindfolded all time, except when eating. He would have been regularly beaten by several individuals, including during his meals, and would have been subjected to the “balançoire”, form of torture which consists in hanging the victim from a rod with his hands tied behind his back.
At the time of issuing this appeal, Mr. Bouba Ousmanou would still not have been presented before a judge and the reasons of his arrest and detention remain unknown.
Furthermore, the whereabouts of Mr. Abdoulaye Abakar, Mr. Issa Ousmanou, Mr. Aboulaye Bouba and Mr. Hamadou Oumarou remain unknown and no information is available with regard to their fate.
The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its deep concern about the acts of torture and ill-treatment suffered by Mr. Bouba Ousmanou and is particularly concerned for Mr. Adboulaye Abakar, Mr. Issa Ousmanou, Mr. Aboulaye Bouba and Mr. Hamadou Oumarou, who remain disappeared and who may risk similar acts. OMCT urges the authorities of Cameroon to immediately locate their whereabouts and guarantee at all times their psychological and physical integrity. OMCT recalls that Cameroon is a State party to the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which prohibits cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. In line with their obligations under this treaty, it is incumbent on the Cameroon’s authorities to consider seriously any allegations of torture and ill-treatment, and to undertake a thorough and impartial investigation in this regard. Furthermore, OMCT urges the authorities of Cameroon to guarantee in all circumstances the liberty of their citizens in conformity with article 9.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Cameroon is a State party, which stipulates that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention”, as well as to article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, ratified by Cameroon, which stipulates that “every individual shall have the right to liberty and to the security of his person. No one may be deprived of his freedom except for reasons and conditions previously laid down by law. In particular, no one may one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained”.
OMCT had been informed about a series of enforced disappearances in Maroua, in the Extreme North Province, since December 2007, allegedly by members of the antigang of Rapid Intervention Battalion (Bataillon d’Intervention Rapide, BIR).
The five individuals, who have reportedly disappeared, are:
Mr. Abdoulaye Abakar, who was abducted, on 23 December 2007 around 8:00 p.m., by unidentified individuals claiming to be members of the antigang of BIR in front of his wife and children, in the area of Domayo;
Mr. Issa Ousmanou and Mr. Aboulaye Bouba, who were also abducted at their respective homes, on 23 December 2007, by unidentified individuals as well claiming to be members of the antigang of BIR;
Mr. Hamadou Oumarou, who was forced to follow two individuals dressed in plain clothes in presence of his wife and child. The individuals came to his house on 8 March 2008 around 2:00 p.m. These individuals reportedly came back a few hours later to request money for the victim; they reportedly said that Mr. Oumarou had been arrested by members of the antigang of BIR and would be detained in Salak. His wife reportedly paid the requested sum and went the next day with her sister to look for her husband, but she reportedly did not receive any information as to his whereabouts.
Mr. Bouba Ousmanou, who was abducted at his parents’ home, on 29 March 2008, in the area of Kongoré. He was reportedly seen, on 30 March 2008, accompanied by six men dressed in plain clothes, of which two were in a car (a grey Toyota starlet without licence plate) and two other on a motorcycle. A witness would have recognised one of the individuals as a member of the army. This latter would have later told Mr. Ousmanou’s family that Mr. Ousmanou had been arrested following instructions issued at Garoua (to this date, we do not have further information as to the detail of these instructions) but that he would not know where Mr. Ousmanou is detained.
According to the same information, the MDDHL had already denounced before the relevant authorities, notably the Governor of the Extreme North Province, these disappearances but did not get any response[1].
Please write to the authorities in Cameroon urging them to:
Please also write to the embassies of Cameroon in your respective country.
Geneva, 15 April 2008
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.