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Van Hollen, Risch, Cardin, Colleagues Applaud Senate Passage of Their Resolution Condemning Violence in Anglophone Cameroon

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), in applauding the Senate’s recent passage of their resolution calling on the Government of Cameroon and separatist armed groups from the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions to end all violence, respect the human rights of all Cameroonians, and participate in genuinely inclusive international mediation toward resolving the ongoing civil conflict in Anglophone Cameroon.

“While the bipartisan support shown by the U.S. Senate conveys our concern for the human suffering and ongoing marginalization experienced by civilians in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, it is only a first step in the role the international community, including the United States, must play in encouraging both the Government of Cameroon and armed separatist groups to engage in dialogue, address grievances, end the conflict, and importantly, seek accountability for the atrocities that have been committed,” said the senators. “Due to the leadership shown by the U.S. Senate, we look forward to the United States taking new, concrete steps to encourage real participation in conflict resolution processes, so that the people of the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon can begin to recover from this dark period.” 

S.Res.684 was agreed to in the Senate with an amendment and an amended preamble by unanimous consent on January 1, 2021.

Key provisions of the resolution include encouraging all parties of the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon to:

  • Conclude and uphold an immediate ceasefire.
  • Guarantee unfettered humanitarian access and assistance to the Northwest and Southwest regions.
  • Exercise restraint and ensure that political protests are peaceful.
  • Establish a credible process for an inclusive dialogue that includes all relevant stakeholders to achieve a sustainable political solution that respects the rights and freedoms of all of the people of Cameroon.