At the UN Security Council, Francois Loucemy, head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa said the rapid implementation of the recommendations adopted during the Yaounde Major National Dialogue will help to reduce the intensity of the conflict in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.
François Louncény Fall, who also serves as the Secretary‑General’s Special Representative for that subregion, stressed the need to build upon the momentum generated by the national dialogue — which took place from 30 September to 4 October — and to pursue further discourse among all stakeholders in order to quell underlying tensions among marginalized communities.
The elections announced for 2020 will be a crucial test of democracy and the determination of national stakeholders to achieve genuine stability and socioeconomic development for all Cameroonians, he continued, urging all sides to step up their efforts to protect and promote human rights and to tackle impunity.
Presenting the Secretary‑General’s latest report on the situation in Central Africa and on UNOCA’s activities (document S/2019/913), he also underscored the wider security, humanitarian, socioeconomic and human rights challenges in the 11‑nation subregion, including climate change, attacks by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin and threats to shipping in the Gulf of Guinea.
Drawing attention to positive developments, he pointed to institutional reforms to the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), which are set to be adopted at an upcoming summit, as well as elections scheduled for various countries of the subregion in 2020 and 2021.
