Yaoundé, 9 July 2026

On Thursday, 9 July 2026, the Cameroon Human Rights Commission (CHRC) received a delegation from the Cameroon Association for the Defence of Human Rights (French acronym: ACDDH) at the Chemuta Divine Banda Conference Hall of the Commission.

The audience, initially scheduled to be chaired by Professor James Mouangue Kobila, the Chairperson of the CHRC, was presided over by Commissioner Joseph Constantin Balla, who was appointed at short notice to represent the Chairperson following his unavoidable absence.Commissioner Balla was accompanied by Mr Guy Armand Essery, Head of the Division for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights; Ms Christelle Béatrice Ongbassilek Emok, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Chairperson; Mr Serge Fabrice Epoh Ngoumè, Private Secretary to the Chairperson; Ms Linda Augustine Laure Ndame Moundo, Head of the Promotion Unit; Mr Carlos Simplice Fokem a senior staff at the Communication Unit; and Mr Marc Landry Njaba, Supervisory Officer at the Promotion Unit.

Welcoming the delegation, Commissioner Balla conveyed the apologies of the CHRC Chairperson before presenting an overview of the Commission’s mandate as provided for under Law No. 2019/014 of 19 July 2019 relating to the establishment, organisation and functioning of the CHRC. He recalled that the Commission’s mandate rests on three pillars: the promotion of human rights, the protection of human rights, and the prevention of torture in all places of detention. He also highlighted the strengthening of the Commission’s statutory powers, particularly its authority to conduct unannounced visits to places of detention without accompaniment by any public authority.

The ACDDH delegation was led by, Mr Joseph La Paix El Hadj, its National Executive President, who was accompanied by Mr Peter Atenkeng, the Secretary-General, and Mr David Tchomtschoua, the Treasurer-General. The delegation sought the Commission’s institutional support to reinforce the protection of human rights defenders and to establish a sustainable framework for cooperation between the two organisations.

Presenting the objectives of the visit, Mr La Paix El Hadj outlined the challenges encountered by members of the Association in the course of their human rights defence work. He referred in particular to incidents involving police brutality, abuse of authority, arrests, detention and judicial proceedings, recounting that he himself had faced such situations while assisting citizens in the defence of their rights.

Beyond these concerns, the delegation expressed its wish to formalise cooperation with the CHRC and explored practical avenues for cooperation in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Discussions focused on possible joint initiatives, including the training of State officials, public awareness campaigns, the monitoring and prevention of human rights violations, and technical support from the Commission to strengthen the capacities of ACDDH members serving in its branches across the country.

Responding to the delegation, Mr Guy Armand Essery encouraged the Association’s leadership to exercise prudence in the conduct of its activities. He observed that an overly confrontational approach often places civil society organisations at a disadvantage in their dealings with public authorities and therefore recommended dialogue, tact and the effective use of existing institutional mechanisms as the most constructive means of advancing human rights objectives. Mr Essery further emphasised the Commission’s unique role as “a genuine bridge between civil society organisations and public authorities”, facilitating dialogue, mediation and the search for appropriate solutions within its statutory mandate.

Closing the meeting, Commissioner Joseph Constantin Balla commended the actions of ACDDH and encouraged the Association to seek affiliation with the CHRC under the Commission’s cooperation framework for civil society organisations. He noted that such affiliation would further consolidate cooperation between the two institutions and enable the ACDDH to benefit more fully from the Commission’s institutional support in the promotion and protection of human rights.

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