Defense minister promises to punish troops violating human rights in NW, SW

By Yusinyu Omer in Yaoundé For the first time, Cameroon’s defense minister has acknowledged grave rights abuses by the military against civilians in the fight against Anglophone separatist fighters and has ordered such violations to stop. Cameroon’s military has characterized those abuses as isolated incidents. Rights groups and victims welcome the call while voicing doubt on when the abuses will end. Cameroon’s Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo Assomo said he is instructing top commanders to immediately arrest and bring charges against troops engaged in rights abuses in the North West and South West regions. He says troops who have failed…