Secretary-General Welcomes Release of Cameroon Leaders as ‘Positive Step’

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the release in Cameroon of a number of leaders from the country’s south-west and north-west regions and the dropping of all charges against them following a 30 August order by President Paul Biya.

The Secretary-General hopes that this positive step will lead to a further lowering of tensions and strengthened political dialogue.  The Secretary-General encourages the Cameroonian authorities to pursue their efforts to address the grievances of the Anglophone community and promote measures of national reconciliation in order to find a durable solution to the crisis.

The Secretary-General reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to continue to support such efforts.