The National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (Cnddr) will soon be 5 years old. And one of the objectives of the Cnddr, according to its national coordinator, Faï Yengo Francis, is to participate in the “total return” of peace in Cameroon.
To do this, the Cnddr wants to implement the approach to reducing community violence (CVR). A four-day workshop (September 26 to 29) was organized in Yaoundé, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), to broaden participants’ understanding of this approach and their capacity to address challenges; challenges related to DDR through CVR projects.
The workshop brought together heads of DDR centers, representatives of sectoral ministerial departments, civil society actors and development partners. For Faï Yengo Francis, this meeting made it possible to appropriate strategies, methods and experiences from elsewhere to duplicate them in Cameroon to encourage the return to peace in regions affected by crises. Cameroon is affected by multiple crises linked to the threats posed by the incursions of Boko Haram in the Far North region, the fallout from the conflict in the neighboring Central African Republic, in particular population displacements, and the violence in the North-West and South-West.
The population, for its part, is trapped by being the object of various criminal acts, including kidnapping, homicides and rape. In countries suffering from conflict like Cameroon, readjusting to life in a peaceful society is a challenge, both for former combatants and the wider community. According to the UN, the CVR program is a “very flexible tool” that allows rapid intervention in the event of local conflicts to offer an alternative to violence, improve security and create a space for dialogue between communities in conflict.
It complements the national DDR process by targeting elements affiliated with armed groups not eligible for this program or self-defense groups, young people at risk of being recruited by armed groups, as well as other members of the community, with particular attention to the participation of women. Beneficiaries from armed groups are integrated into professional and social training courses and community project activities, in the same way as other civilian beneficiaries.
Created by presidential decree on November 30, 2018, the Cnddr’s mission is to deradicalize ex-combatants of Boko Haram and armed separatist groups and to support them in their return to civilian life. Its creation is part of the “constant availability” of the Head of State to seek ways and means of a “peaceful resolution” of the crises affecting Cameroon, according to the Presidency of the Republic. IOM works with the Cnddr to strengthen the capacities of actors with a view to improving the effectiveness of DDR implementation in the country.
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