Cameroon | 20 January 2025
The recent violent burglary at the offices of Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme (NDH-Cameroon) is a grave assault on human rights defenders and civil society. This act, aimed at silencing NDH’s critical work, highlights the growing threats faced by NGOs advocating for justice and freedom.
As the International Peace Bureau (IPB), we strongly condemn this attack and call for a thorough investigation by the authorities to ensure accountability in Cameroon. We urge all institutions to respect the rights of NGOs to operate free from fear and intimidation.
We stand in solidarity with NDH-Cameroon, including our IPB Council Member and Executive Director of NDH-Cameroon, Cyrille Roland Bechon, along with all its members and community. We reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of all human rights defenders in the face of such challenges.
Read the official Press Release by NDH-Cameroun:
Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme (NDH-Cameroun), NGO with Consultative status at the United Nations, informs national and international opinion that it has been the victim of a very special criminal act of burglary at its Yaoundé premises.
On the night of Saturday, January 18 to Sunday, January 19, 2025, unidentified individuals broke into the offices and took all essential work equipment. This included computer equipment and the majority of data storage devices: laptops, CPUs, hard drives, USB sticks, projection and recording equipment for conferences and meetings… Likewise, all the offices, particularly the Director’s, were searched with a fine-toothed comb, and several documents were taken away. The flag of Cameroon, proudly displayed in front of the offices, was also removed from its mast and taken away.