Transitional justice mechanisms under the African human rights system : prospects and challenges for countering massive human rights violations in Cameroon

Abstract

Cameroon has been in the throes of a bloody conflict in the English-speaking regions since 2016. It is a conflict over political, cultural rights and identity and has deteriorated with government forces implicated in serious human rights violations such as extrajudicial and summary executions, torture, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention, arson and destruction of villages. Separatist fighters have equally inflicted pain on civilians who do not support their agenda through kidnapping, maiming and targeted killings. Transitional justice (TJ) stands as a panacea to addressing the serious human rights violations resulting from conflicts.

The AU through its different organs and institutions have developed mechanisms for the implementation of TJ. The AU Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) provides a roadmap for other institutions to assist member states to develop context-specific comprehensive policies, strategies, and programmes towards achieving peace, justice and reconciliation. The African Commission as a key institutions for implementing TJ incorporates TJ into its existing mechanisms which makes TJ centred responses weak. The study proposes several measures to improve on the Commissions response. It equally highlights the peculiarities and challenges at the level of the Cameroon and proposes measures to be adopted to achieve peace and justice.