,h4 ,,res4 #ceh ,in the ,house of ,representatives1 ,u4 ,s41 ,july #bc1 #bjai ,,resolution ,whereas many ,anglophone ,cameroonians have long felt marginalized by official actions and policies of the ,government of ,cameroon1 including the abolishment of a federal form of government1 which was the constitutional basis under which ,english-speaking ,southern ,cameroons entered into the union1 and replacing it with a unitary state dominated by the ,francophone majority2 ,whereas1 beginning in late #bjaf1 protests organized by lawyers1 teachers1 and students were violently repressed by the ,government of ,cameroon1 leading to numerous deaths and imprisonments1 including of journalists1 teachers1 lawyers1 and an ,anglophone judge on the country's ,supreme ,court2 ,whereas the conflict escalated in late ,september and early ,october #bjag1 when ,cameroonian security forces brutally cracked down on peaceful ,anglophone civilian demonstrators1 resulting in dozens of deaths and leaving over #ajj injured2 ,whereas1 in #bjag1 separatists launched a campaign to pressure school officials in the ,northwest and ,southwest ,anglophone regions to go on strike as part of a boycott against the ,government of ,cameroon1 and reportedly began burning school buildings1 threatening education officials with violence if they did not comply with a boycott1 and kidnapping for ransom children and teachers who defied the boycott2 ,whereas numerous human rights monitors have documented armed separatists killing traditional leaders and targeting civilians1 including women1 children1 and the elderly1 who are perceived to be supporting or working with the ,government of ,cameroon1 and reports indicate that armed separatists have killed scores of security force personnel2 ,whereas the security forces of the ,government of ,cameroon have attacked medical facilities and health workers in the ,northwest and ,southwest regions2 ,whereas numerous credible reports from human rights monitors1 including the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights1 have documented the excessive use of force by government security forces against ,cameroonian civilians living in the ,anglophone regions1 including the burning of villages1 the use of live ammunition against protestors1 arbitrary arrest and detention1 torture1 sexual abuse1 and killing of civilians1 including women1 children1 and the elderly2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state has expressed serious concern over the manner in which the government has used force to unlawfully restrict the rights to free expression and peaceful protest that are protected under the ,cameroonian ,constitution and international law2 ,whereas the government has charged journalists1 social activists1 and members of political opposition parties with terrorism-related crimes and prosecuted them in military tribunals2 ,whereas the ,government of ,cameroon arrested opposition leader ,maurice ,kamto and roughly #aej members of the ,cameroon ,renaissance ,movement party following peaceful protests on ,january #bf1 #bjai1 charging them with crimes that could result in the death penalty and handling their cases at the ,military ,tribunal even though they are civilians2 ,whereas the ,government of ,cameroon continued to place bans on ,cameroon ,renaissance ,movement's attempts to hold peaceful protests1 and civil society reported that security forces interfered with ,,mrc registration processes in ,yaound1 ,douala1 and ,bafoussam in ,february #bjai2 ,whereas the ,government of ,cameroon has repeatedly restricted freedoms of expression by shutting down the internet1 harassing and detaining journalists1 refusing licenses to independent media1 and intensifying political attacks against the independent press2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,office for the ,coordination of ,humanitarian ,affairs stated in ,april #bjai that more than #ecj1jjj people were internally displaced in areas affected by the ,anglophone conflict2 ,whereas the ,office of the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,refugees reports that more than #cb1jjj ,cameroonian refugees have registered in ,nigeria2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state has expressly called on the ,government of ,cameroon to respect the rights1 including the right to due process1 of #dg ,cameroonians forcibly returned in ,january #bjah from ,nigerian custody to ,cameroonian authorities1 many of whom had reportedly submitted asylum claims in ,nigeria2 and ,whereas #aj of the #dg ,cameroonians forcibly returned from ,nigeria now face charges before a military court punishable by the death penalty1 while the other #cg reportedly remain in detention without charge3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 strongly condemns the abuses committed in ,cameroon's ,anglophone regions by the ,government of ,cameroon security forces and armed groups1 including extrajudicial killings and detentions1 the use of force against nonviolent civilians and protestors1 and violations of the freedoms of press1 expression1 and assembly2 7#b7 affirms that the ,united ,states continues to hold the ,government of ,cameroon responsible for upholding the rights of all citizens1 regardless of political views or beliefs or the regions in which they reside1 in accordance with ,cameroon's international obligations and ,cameroon's own ,constitution2 7#c7 urges all parties1 including political opposition groups1 to exercise restraint and to ensure that protests remain peaceful2 7#d7 urges the ,government of ,cameroon to-- 7,a7 initiate broad-based dialogue without preconditions and make a credible1 full faith effort to work with religious and community leaders in the ,anglophone region to address grievances and seek nonviolent solutions to resolve conflict and constitutional reforms that would protect minority concerns1 such as reconstituting a ,federal system2 7,b7 follow through on the initiatives developed to address grievances1 including the ,commission of ,bilingualism and ,multiculturalism1 the ,ministry of ,decentralization1 and the ,national ,commission for ,disarmament1 ,demobilization1 ,reintegration1 that currently offer no visible evidence of having played a constructive role in resolving the crisis2 7,c7 respect the fundamental rights of all ,cameroonian citizens1 including political activists and journalists2 7,d7 ensure that any security operations are conducted in accordance with international human rights standards1 including efforts to ensure security forces only use force under appropriate circumstances2 7,e7 transparently investigate all allegations of human rights violations committed in the ,anglophone regions and take the necessary measures to prevent arbitrary detention1 torture1 enforced disappearances1 deaths in custody1 and inhumane prison conditions2 7,f7 promptly charge or release all those detained in the context of the ,anglophone crisis1 including the ,cameroonians forcibly returned from ,nigeria1 and ensure that any future detainees are treated with due process1 in line with ,cameroon's penal code2 7,g7 allow unfettered access to humanitarian and health care workers in accordance with humanitarian principles of humanity1 neutrality1 impartiality1 and independence2 7,h7 release the leaders and members of the ,cameroon ,renaissance ,movement party who were arrested following their peaceful protests1 and ensure that this party1 like others1 can participate unfettered in upcoming municipal1 parliamentary1 and regional elections2 7,i7 release human rights defenders1 civil society activists1 political prisoners1 journalists1 trade unionists1 teachers1 and any other citizens who have been arbitrarily arrested and detained without trial or charge2 7,j7 ensure that detainees are treated fairly and humanely1 with proper judicial proceedings1 including a registry of those detained by the ,cameroonian security forces1 and with full access to legal resources2 and 7,k7 ensure that ,cameroon's antiterrorism legislation is used only to prosecute offenses that would be considered acts of terrorism under international legal standards1 and cease to use this legislation to sanction activities that are protected by national and international guarantees of freedom of expression1 peaceful assembly1 and association with others2 and 7#e7 urges the separatist groups to-- 7,a7 engage with ,cameroonian government officials1 as well as civil society and religious leaders1 in a broad-based dialogue without preconditions to peacefully express grievances and credibly engage in nonviolent efforts to resolve the conflict2 7,b7 immediately stop committing human rights abuses1 including killings of civilians1 use of child soldiers1 torture1 kidnapping1 and extortion2 7,c7 end the school boycott immediately and cease attacks on schools1 teachers1 and education officials1 and allow for the safe return of all students to class2 7,d7 end incitement to violence and hate speech on the part of the diaspora2 and 7,e7 immediately release all civilians illegally detained or kidnapped in the ,anglophone ,northwest and ,southwest regions4 ,clerk4