In an interview on the current situation of human rights in the country, Dr Banda said, “You find understanding among political parties and religious bodies work together, especially through ecumenical movements”, and added that, “Our people are understanding their rights and rights of other people and respecting them”. He recommended improvements the Ministry of Justice has to make with regard to detention conditions. The Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission said people in detention must be given minimum quality treatment, considering that some of them have not even been tried. Detention, he reiterated, should be seen as an occasion to reconvert inmates for their re-integration into the society.
With regard to the 2009 activities of the Commission, Dr Banda in his opening speech said, two additional offices were opened that came to add to the four located in four regions of Cameroon. By the end of 2009, the Commission already had offices in the Centre, North West, South West, Adamawa, North and Littoral Regions. He said work in places without offices was done by members of the Commission resident therein. The National Human Rights Commission in carrying out its mission, do inquiries into and report on human rights violations, play advisory role with the government and relate with Non- Governmental Organisations. The Commission classifies human rights in categories such as: civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the rights of specific groups and special issues of human rights.
The Secretary General of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Barthelemy Obongono Eye’e presented both the 2009 activities of the Commission as well as a report on the human rights situation in the same year. This was in the presence of some government officials, representatives of State institutions, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, representatives of civil society organisations and some development partners.
