Cameroon Summons French, German Envoys Over Embassy Violence
Cameroon Summons French, German Envoys Over Embassy Violence
(Bloomberg) -- Cameroon summoned French and German envoys to protest “violence and vandalism” during opposition demonstrations at the central African nation’s embassies in Paris and Berlin.
The two European host governments failed to provide ample diplomatic and consular protection during the Jan. 26 protests by backers of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, in violation of international conventions, Cameroon’s Communication Minister and government spokesman Rene Emmanuel said in a statement Tuesday in the capital, Yaounde.
While the United Nations condemned the violence at the Cameroonian embassies, it also expressed concern about alleged use of force by security forces during demonstrations in Cameroon’s port city of Douala in recent days, and the arrest of opposition leader Maurice Kamto, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ office said Tuesday in an emailed statement.
“The UN calls on Cameroonian authorities to respect the freedom of assembly, association and expression and stress the need for restraint by all political actors,” according to the statement.
To contact the reporter on this story: Pius Lukong in Yaounde at plukong@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pauline Bax at pbax@bloomberg.net, Eric Ombok, Helen Nyambura
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