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Cameroon: the cholera epidemic in prisons worries the opposition
Published on :04/09/2022 - 19:19
Modified :04/10/2022 - 12:02
At least six inmates have died of diarrheal disease in New Bell prison in Douala - the second largest prison in Douala - and 120 people have reportedly been infected since March. Among them, an activist from the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), who died on Thursday April 7.
Rodrigue Ndagueho Koufet had been sentenced to three years in prison for having participated in the demonstrations of September 20, 2020. Reached by RFI, Maître Emmanuel Simh, national vice-president of the MRC and lawyer for the opposition party, denounces the " double penalty " suffered by Cameroonian political prisoners.
“ In the prisons of Yaoundé and Douala, there has been a major cholera epidemic which is due to the disastrous conditions of detention of its prisoners, in particular by the lack of running water. This lack of water, therefore, causes this serious disease which has almost decimated, for a few days, prisoners, in the Douala prison, in particular.
Our militant died in these conditions. It should be noted that he had been chained to his hospital bed despite his illness. He suffered what I call a double punishment: he was punished for having dared to express his political opinion, on the one hand, and on the other hand, he died in prison as a result of this cholera. Not only does our government imprison people for their political opinions, but, even worse, it does not have the capacity to provide these prisoners with simply acceptable conditions of detention. »
Call for emergency release
Human Rights Watch appeals to the Cameroonian authorities to urgently release the most fragile detainees because prison overcrowding prevents the enforcement of hygiene measures.
Reached by RFI, Ilaria Alegrozzi, researcher at Human Rights Watch explains: “ Prison authorities tried to do their best to contain the transmission of cholera. They carried out a vaccination campaign in the prison, they restricted access to the prison. They have also quarantined all the minors but the prison has too many people, almost 4 times its capacity. Under these conditions, even respecting the most basic hygiene standards, such as washing your hands, for example, becomes extremely complicated. I believe that the Cameroonian authorities should act quickly not only to prevent the spread of the disease but also to protect prisoners and prison staff. Therefore, they should consider adopting extraordinary measures such as the release of those most at risk, especially children and the elderly.. »
There are risks of cholera transmission in other prisons in Cameroon, the NGO estimates, in the capital Yaoundé, but also in Buea because the South West region is seriously affected by the epidemic and its health system is weak. collapsed, due to the Anglophone crisis.
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/202204...e-l-opposition
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April 8, 2022 6:47PM EDT
Cameroon Needs to Protect Prisoners from Cholera Outbreak
Overcrowding, Lack of Hygiene and Potable Water Increase Risk
Ilaria Allegrozzi
Senior Central Africa Researcher
...
This cholera outbreak shows how quickly abysmal prison conditions become life-threatening. Cameroon has an obligation under international law to ensure all detainees are held in humane and dignified conditions and to guarantee their right to health. It also should not be detaining people in pretrial detention except in exceptional circumstances. Authorities should release those at increased risk of severe complications from cholera, including children and older people. Prisons should also address overcrowding by releasing those held for minor offenses, those nearing the end of their sentence, and many of those being held in pretrial detention, or people like Koufet, who were detained for peacefully exercising their rights. Authorities should also ensure access to clean water and sanitation for prisoners.
The government should act quickly not only to prevent the disease from spreading, but to protect those who depend on them for protection.
...
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/08...igation under,guarantee their right to health.
Cameroon: the cholera epidemic in prisons worries the opposition
Published on :04/09/2022 - 19:19
Modified :04/10/2022 - 12:02
At least six inmates have died of diarrheal disease in New Bell prison in Douala - the second largest prison in Douala - and 120 people have reportedly been infected since March. Among them, an activist from the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), who died on Thursday April 7.
Rodrigue Ndagueho Koufet had been sentenced to three years in prison for having participated in the demonstrations of September 20, 2020. Reached by RFI, Maître Emmanuel Simh, national vice-president of the MRC and lawyer for the opposition party, denounces the " double penalty " suffered by Cameroonian political prisoners.
“ In the prisons of Yaoundé and Douala, there has been a major cholera epidemic which is due to the disastrous conditions of detention of its prisoners, in particular by the lack of running water. This lack of water, therefore, causes this serious disease which has almost decimated, for a few days, prisoners, in the Douala prison, in particular.
Our militant died in these conditions. It should be noted that he had been chained to his hospital bed despite his illness. He suffered what I call a double punishment: he was punished for having dared to express his political opinion, on the one hand, and on the other hand, he died in prison as a result of this cholera. Not only does our government imprison people for their political opinions, but, even worse, it does not have the capacity to provide these prisoners with simply acceptable conditions of detention. »
Call for emergency release
Human Rights Watch appeals to the Cameroonian authorities to urgently release the most fragile detainees because prison overcrowding prevents the enforcement of hygiene measures.
Reached by RFI, Ilaria Alegrozzi, researcher at Human Rights Watch explains: “ Prison authorities tried to do their best to contain the transmission of cholera. They carried out a vaccination campaign in the prison, they restricted access to the prison. They have also quarantined all the minors but the prison has too many people, almost 4 times its capacity. Under these conditions, even respecting the most basic hygiene standards, such as washing your hands, for example, becomes extremely complicated. I believe that the Cameroonian authorities should act quickly not only to prevent the spread of the disease but also to protect prisoners and prison staff. Therefore, they should consider adopting extraordinary measures such as the release of those most at risk, especially children and the elderly.. »
There are risks of cholera transmission in other prisons in Cameroon, the NGO estimates, in the capital Yaoundé, but also in Buea because the South West region is seriously affected by the epidemic and its health system is weak. collapsed, due to the Anglophone crisis.
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/202204...e-l-opposition
------------------------------------------------------------------
April 8, 2022 6:47PM EDT
Cameroon Needs to Protect Prisoners from Cholera Outbreak
Overcrowding, Lack of Hygiene and Potable Water Increase Risk
Ilaria Allegrozzi
Senior Central Africa Researcher
...
This cholera outbreak shows how quickly abysmal prison conditions become life-threatening. Cameroon has an obligation under international law to ensure all detainees are held in humane and dignified conditions and to guarantee their right to health. It also should not be detaining people in pretrial detention except in exceptional circumstances. Authorities should release those at increased risk of severe complications from cholera, including children and older people. Prisons should also address overcrowding by releasing those held for minor offenses, those nearing the end of their sentence, and many of those being held in pretrial detention, or people like Koufet, who were detained for peacefully exercising their rights. Authorities should also ensure access to clean water and sanitation for prisoners.
The government should act quickly not only to prevent the disease from spreading, but to protect those who depend on them for protection.
...
https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/08...igation under,guarantee their right to health.
