Breaking Cameroon News - Tragic Death of Refugees, Violent Reaction of UNHCR

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is shocked by the tragic deaths of six Nigerian asylum seekers, inc...

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is shocked by the tragic deaths of six Nigerian asylum seekers, including three children, who were killed in an explosion in the far north of Cameroon.

In a statement released by the agency, he said: “This tragic incident is a disappointing testimony to the forced returns (refoulement) of refugees and asylum-seekers from Cameroon, despite the many calls by UNHCR to the Cameroonian government to respect its obligations.”

Speaking on the subject, UNHCR Regional Director for Africa Valentin Tapsoba said that “the forced return of refugees and asylum seekers is a violation of the principle of non-refoulement angular of the international law of the refugees, the Cameroonian State is gone “.

Business Post reports that UNHCR learned that on July 29, about 12 asylum seekers were forcibly returned to Banki, Nigeria, in a Cameroonian army truck that rolled on an improvised explosive device that exploded.

Breaking Cameroon News - Tragic Death of Refugees, Violent Reaction of UNHCR

Six Cameroonian soldiers and six other asylum seekers were also injured during the incident in Homaka, Mayo Sava Division.

More than 800 Nigerian refugees and asylum seekers in Cameroon have been forcibly returned to Nigeria since the beginning of 2018.

UNHCR has once again called on the Cameroonian government to refrain from any forced return of Nigerian refugees and asylum seekers.

He also reminded Cameroon of its obligations under international law relating to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers and the commitments made by signing the Tripartite Agreement for the Voluntary Repatriation of Nigerian Refugees from Cameroon in March 2017.

“UNHCR reiterates its call on the authorities to provide Nigerian refugees with unhindered access to asylum and stands ready to support Cameroon to ensure that all people in safety have access to effective screening, registration and documentation”.

Some 96,000 Nigerian refugees have sought refuge in the far north of the country, with more than 8,000 new refugees registered since the beginning of 2018.

Cameroon currently hosts more than 367,000 refugees and asylum seekers.

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