The Corporate Legal Implications of Violating the Right to Education in the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon

Abstract

This article is an introspective perspective of the place of the right to education in Anglophone Cameroon in the current Anglophone crisis. The article is written specifically in mind to cover the gaps, the missing link of educational services and the right to education currently being violated in English Cameroon. It discusses some of the particular cases of educational right violations. The right to education in Cameroon is clearly and completely statutorily. This has also been enunciated in the constitution of Cameroon and it is expressly engraved in some international rights frameworks. Since the constitution of Cameroon nor any other law does not empower anybody to encroach into the right to education in Cameroon and beyond, consequently we examine some of the legal effects of educational apathy in the Anglophone regions caused by violent aggressors and we suggest solutions under the purview of the law. It is objective practice that, whenever any right is violated explicitly, there must be a dispassionate institution of legal remedies as provided under the law. Violating the right to education is harming the victims who are beneficiaries of the said right. The grave and mischievous acts against education conducted against a great number of Anglophone children and students have been treated in this article. The Anglophone crisis has seen the violation of several rights in Anglophone Cameroon. Despite the interventions taken by the Cameroonian government through the-inter ministerial adhoc committee with strategic measures made to settle the protests which were initiated by teachers and lawyers since 2016. There has also been a brick wall placed by separatists’ fighters on the right to education in Anglophone Cameroon. While using the military to fight the separatists, the Cameroon army has been very decisive in their actions on the streets, highways, schools and communities with its own violations of the right to education in several communities. Dimensionally, in a host of communities, there has been a serious violation of the right to education by suspected armed separatists and Cameroonian troops who continue to trade blames and counter accusations fighting each other without employing and sourcing for a lasting solution. In addressing this problem to change the situation, we call for further responsibility amongst civil authorities to support, lead and embark on operations which will encourage the right to education under the purview of the law. Multiple intervention measures should be taken without breaking down the link of communication at any moment with educational stakeholders. There must be an immediate point of departure between the fighting parties because such fragrant violations of the educational rights in the constitution do not comply with the values of human dignity. We suggest the Cameroon government continue reaching out with the Anglophone aggrieved members without any break in applicable rules of engagement for lasting solutions.