Comparative approaches to combatting terrorism. International Conventions and Cameroon Legislation (PDF)

Academic Paper from the year 2024 in the subject Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict, Security, grade: Doctor, University of Buea (University of buea), course: International law, language: English, abstract: This article examines the strategies employed to combat terrorism, comparing Cameroon's legislative framework with international conventions on terrorism. Terrorism's impact is globally acknowledged, necessitating international intervention. While the phenomenon has evolved over decades, its prominence surged after the 9/11 attacks, prompting counter resolutions by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Terrorist activities have crossed continents, with Nigeria's military pressure on the Boko Haram group leading them to seek refuge in North Cameroon. In response, the Cameroonian government retaliated through military, administrative, and legislative measures, including the enactment of the 2014 terrorism law and addressing separatist fighters in the English-speaking regions in 2016. However, reconciling counter-terrorism efforts with human rights protection remains contentious.

This study critically evaluates both international conventions on terrorism and Cameroon's legislation on suppressing terrorist acts, analyzing their scopes and limitations. Using a qualitative research methodology, the study primarily employs doctrinal methods, consulting and analyzing primary and secondary data sources. The findings reveal that the proliferation of terrorist acts often stems from varying national definitions. Cameroon, for instance, defines terrorism based on its unique context, occasionally politicizing it to encompass acts encroaching upon civic spaces, blurring the distinction between terrorist acts and crimes punishable by the penal code.

Moreover, while significant efforts have been made to combat terrorism in Cameroon within the framework of human rights, these rights remain imperiled due to instances of extrajudicial killings, mass arrests, house burnings, arbitrary detentions, and other actions by law enforcement agencies. To address this issue, it is recommended that the government demonstrate greater commitment to upholding its ratified human rights instruments when countering terrorism, while adopting a human rights-based approach.