Calls by a coalition of NGOs, opinion leaders and some politicians for the lifting of the suspension slammed on five non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by the Minister of Territorial administration (MINAT) have been ignored.
MINAT boss, Paul Atanga Nji who issued the suspension orders citing financial irregularities and violations of laws governing their activities, went ahead to seal the office of one of the NGOs, REDHAC, in Douala, provoking a tit-for-tat reaction from its leaders.
As the dogfight continued with the seals broken by Lawyer Alice Nkom, Board Chair of REDHAC citing the provisions of Article 191 of the Penal Code titled ‘BREAKING OF SEALS’, Atanga Nji organised a press briefing in his office to justify the suspension, citing financial irregularities and violations of laws governing their activities.
Speaking at the Ministry’s boardroom in Yaoundé on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, the Minister said the government is concerned about the organisations’ financial activities.
Minister Atanga Nji revealed that the suspended NGOs collectively received nearly FCFA 16 billion in funding, yet their reported activities on the ground accounted for less than FCFA 400 million.
“These exorbitant amounts have no traceability and are not aligned with the declared objectives of these organizations,” he stated, citing reports from the National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF).
The Minister emphasized that such financial discrepancies raise red flags about potential misuse of funds. He added that the funding may be used for illegal activities, including economic crimes and terrorism financing.
Atanga Nji stressed that all NGOs operating in Cameroon are required to adhere to strict legal and administrative regulations, including submitting annual activity and financial reports. He accused the suspended organizations of failing to comply with these obligations, noting that some funds were sourced illegally or exceeded the allowable limits for NGO activities.
“Cameroon is a country of laws and freedom, but this freedom must be exercised within the framework of our legal provisions,” he said.
The Minister further highlighted cases where funding allocations for specific projects, such as the construction of health centers, were disproportionately inflated He warned that such practices undermine trust in NGOs and the integrity of financial systems. The Minister linked these actions to broader efforts to combat financial crimes and the financing of terrorism.
He reminded stakeholders that Cameroon remains under scrutiny by international bodies, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and must take decisive action to address vulnerabilities in its financial ecosystem. “The recreation is over. Administrative tolerance is also over,” he declared.
He signaled the government’s intent to rigorously enforce compliance moving forward. Atanga Nji announced that all NGOs and associations must submit updated financial and activity reports by January 30, 2025, failing which they risk suspension or judicial prosecution. He also highlighted ongoing investigations into NGOs that receive foreign funding, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in their operations. The suspension of these organizations has been challenged by a coalition of NGOs, politicians and opinion leaders.
In a release signed by 51 civil society leaders and politicians including Me Alice Nkom, Cyrille Rolande Bechon, Hilaire Kamga, Jean Claude Fogno, and Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla, as well as Barrister Akere Muna, Kah Walla, Djeukam Kameni , Micheal Takie, Simon Munzu and Eric Chinje,the group asserted that the MINAT decision is “clearly based, for the most part, on false allegations and unfounded assertions.” They emphasized that these associations have consistently complied with the legal standards in Cameroon.
The civil society actors and opinion leaders further said MINAT’s decision undermines democratic values in the country, declaring, “The suspension and banning orders issued against these organizations are a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of association in Cameroon.”
The group condemned the approach which they described as “restrictive” to civic space, especially as Cameroon approaches a new “high-risk electoral cycle in 2025.”
The document also noted that MINAT’s orders followed REDHAC’s active participation in defending human rights during Cameroon’s review by both the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the Committee Against Torture. They called on the government to adhere to national and international guidelines on freedom of association.
In a communique on December 6, MINAT suspended the activities of REHDAC and ROC alongside three other NGOs throughout the national territory for three months. They were accused of illegal funding, failure to justify received funds, non-compliance with regulations governing NGO activities, and lack of proper authorization.
Following is the letter in its entirety:
To the Minister of Territorial Administration
Dear Mr. Minister,
It is with confusion and alarm that we read your communiqués Nos. 000120 – 000124, dated December 6, 2024, suspending four associations and NGOs, among which are two organizations we know very well and regularly collaborate with. Upon reading your communiqués, we immediately contacted Reach Out Cameroon and REDHAC.
To our greatest surprise, we were informed by both organizations that you had not:
Contacted them in any way prior to the publication of the above communiqués;
Addressed any written or oral inquiry to them regarding their finances or activities;
Presented them with any facts concerning the extremely grievous accusations made in your communiqués.
Mr. Minister, it is important to note here that the right to association is guaranteed by the Constitution of Cameroon.
As Minister of Territorial Administration, you are tasked with guaranteeing and ensuring that right. It is therefore astonishing that you would suspend legal associations from their activities without having contacted said associations within the context of a formal investigation.
REDHAC is one of the oldest and most well-known human rights organizations, not only in Cameroon but throughout Central Africa. REDHAC works closely with organizations such as the African Union, the United Nations, and a host of bilateral partners. Within Cameroon, journalists, civil society organizations, political parties, and international partners all rely on the work and reports of REDHAC to stay informed about the human rights situation in Cameroon.
Reach Out is one of the most well-known humanitarian organizations in Cameroon and has been working relentlessly for peace in the South West and North West regions ever since the beginning of the Anglophone Crisis in 2017. Thanks to Reach Out, thousands of families in these regions have been able to access basic necessities and services, as Reach Out has braved the very dangerous and insecure context to deliver food and other products to victims of the crisis.
Reach Out works with the United Nations and numerous bilateral organizations to ensure these services. Journalists, civil society organizations, political parties, and citizens have all relied on Reach Out to help assess the situation in the Anglophone regions, notably that of women and children.
The same could certainly be said of the other two organizations targeted by your acts of suspension.
Mr. Minister, your incomprehensible and unsubstantiated decisions sully the names of these organizations, which are highly reputed and useful in our country, both for the citizens they protect, and for the very credibility of the rule of law to which our country would like to aspire, both internally and internationally. Logically, it is obvious that such serious allegations on the part of a state institution vested with the credit of the State can only be made on the basis of irrefutable facts, facts established following a thorough investigation proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were committed by the incriminated organizations.
In the absence of conclusive evidence, we are justified in considering that the aim of your decisions is to restrict civic space, violate the right of association and intimidate the key players who defend the fundamental rights of
Cameroonians on a daily basis.
We therefore ask, Mr. Minister, that you:
1. Immediately lift the suspension of these organizations;
2. Provide these organizations and the Cameroonian public with the facts that led to such grievous accusations;
3. Ensure that the relevant institutions with appropriate jurisdiction carry out a thorough, objective, and irreproachable investigation, should such facts exist;
4. Inform the Cameroonian public step-by-step of such an important initiative which impacts rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Cameroon;
5. Cease any actions aimed at violating fundamental rights and intimidating Cameroonians in general, and human rights defenders in particular.
Given the important nature of these matters for our nation, we would be most grateful, Mr. Minister, to receive an urgent response to our correspondence and demands.
Sincerely,
