Cameroon recently arrested a losing candidate in their most recent presidential elections because of the candidate being adamant he won the elections. Although that has nothing to do with what the United Nations human rights chief has stated, Cameroon has a questionable human rights record. Geopolitically, the turmoil makes sense within Cameroon because of its location — Sub-Saharan Africa, but Central Africa.
The United Nations human rights chief has stated that Cameroon may continue a dangerous descendent into violence if the government does not stop the slander and their unnecessarily cruel tactics. A trend across most of the African continent is leaders’ desire to not give up power. Sudan is a textbook definition of this with Omar al-Bashir. Omar has been president since 1993, despite protests around the globe.
I agree with what has been said by the United Nations in this situation. The lives of many are at stakes because of political tensions and separatists. I think that the United Nations should be far more hands-on in this situation. They already released a statement a month ago regarding the situation in Cameroon, and nothing has changed since. I wish this weren’t the case, but the history of intervention in Africa is lacking. The UN can point fingers at politicians and tell them to stop all they want, but that hasn’t been effective. Some people may say it is not the United Nations responsibility to help the world, but it is. It is a humanitarian organization and an organization with global reach that can do real good with more power. The Security Council should include more countries or become dismantled because of this political hierarchy is unjust.
Unrelated, but Palestine. Palestine could be a state if it weren’t for the United States on the Security Council. Because of our pro-Israel sentiments, hypothetically, they will never become a state as long as we are on the Security Council. All human beings are equal, so I don’t see why these five countries hold an elite position within an organization that stands for justice. Sometimes, those five, halt justice.
If the United States wanted to help Cameroon, we would. If we cared about the lives of Cameroonian citizens, we would save or help them. But Cameroon isn‘t valuable to us.