Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yaoundé (Agencia Fides) - 40 people were killed in the fighting that broke out in late February, between demonstrators and government forces of Cameroon (see Fides 26/2/2008), according to a press statement from Marafa Hamidou Yaya, Land Administration Minister. The 40 fatalities occurred in 10 of the 31 cities marked by violent incidents. The Minister has outlined the following general balance of assessments: in addition to the deaths, there have been several wounded (the Minister has not been able to place an exact number); 44 public buildings have been burned and sacked (among them are prefectures, town halls, police headquarters, tax offices, and schools); 33 service stations have been partially or entirely damaged (as protests intensified with the rising fuel costs); headquarters of private companies have been destroyed; many pharmacies have been looted; numerous amounts of vehicles of both public and private ownership have been burned or destroyed. Among the buildings destroyed, the Minister named the Catholic school of Medjo, in the Province of Menoua.
The Minister clarified the fact that the data of his assessment had been gathered with the help of administrative and health authorities, as well as, security forces from the affected areas, implying that the previous assessment conducted by the opposition was not credible. The first provisional assessment granted by the government placed the number of victims at 24, while the opposition party said that they had been over a hundred. In recent days, local authorities have confirmed that they have arrested over 1,500 people involved in the fighting, many wanted already for other crimes. An organization for the defense of human rights denied this number, claiming that in the capital city of Yaoundé alone, the number of people arrested was 2, 000.
Minister Yaya claims that in Doula, where fighting first broke out, included among the protesters were some local delinquents that not only joined in the looting, but also fought amongst one another for the booty. In the end, the majority of the victims were a result of this brawl.
In Douala, amidst the riots, an Italian businessman and his Croatian interpreter were kidnapped. Thanks to an intervention by local authorities, the two hostages were later freed. According to the Minister, the person responsible for the kidnapping is a local criminal who escaped from prison on December 25, 2007, where he was serving time for his implication in the murder of a French executive.
In efforts to calm spirits, the Cameroon government has decided to suspend the customs taxes on various materials of basic necessity imported from outside the country, and to raise the salary of government employees. The government radio has also announced that other means for reducing the cost of living are currently under study, including a fuel cost reduction. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 12/3/2008; righe 37, parole 457)
