Auteur/autrice : TimesNews2

Le Ministère des Affaires Sociales en partenariat avec l’Organisation Internationale des Migrations ont lancé le 6 juillet 2022 à l’hôtel Aurélia Palace, sis au quartier Nylon Bastos, une série de formations de renforcement des capacités sur l’approche intégrée de la réintégration. Le Ministère des Affaires Sociales et l’Organisation Internationale des Migrations œuvrent ensemble pour la protection des migrants. Une série de formations de renforcement des capacités sur l’approche intégrée de la réintégration a été ouverte a Yaoundé, capitale du Cameroun le 6 juillet 2022. Ce projet vise à renforcer la gestion des migrations et à répondre à la nécessité urgente de protéger et de sauver la vie des migrants le long de la route migratoire de la Méditerranée centrale. Pendant trois jours, 140 personnes seront formées dans les villes de Douala, Yaoundé et Bafoussam, et plus tard dans le reste des régions. L’objectif est de les former et de les outiller sur les concepts clés de la réintégration de l’OIM.  Il faut souligner que cette cérémonie se tient au lendemain du premier forum International d’examen des migrations tenu à New-York, sous l’égide de l’Assemblée Générale des Nations-Unies du 17 au 20 mai dernier. A ce jour, l’OIM a facilité le retour volontaire de 5468 Camerounais, et dont 4000 d’entre eux ont bénéficié d’une aide à la réintégration économique, sociale et ou psychosociale. Dans le cadre de l’initiative EUTF-OIM pour la Protection et la Réintégration des Migrants, financé par l’Union Européenne et pilotée par le Ministère des Relations Extérieures, le MINAS a mis à disposition un bâtiment du Centre d’Ecoute et de Transit qui a été réhabilité et équipé en vue de renforcer le dispositif d’accompagnement des migrants de retour volontaire, en rendant pérenne l’assistance dès leur arrivée, en sécurisant temporairement ceux d’entre eux ne pouvant dans des courts délais retourner dans leurs zones d’origine. Face à ce phénomène de migrations qui prend de l’ampleur, donnant l’illusion d’un bonheur qui serait toujours ailleurs que chez soi, le Ministre des Affaires Sociales. Pauline Irène NGUENE dans son discours d’ouverture a invité la communauté nationale et internationale à briser le tabou et la loi du silence en signalant les cas de trafic des personnes au 1503 qui est la ligne verte et gratuite du MINAS, disponible 24 heures sur 24. Cellcom MINAS

Secretary General in the Ministry of social affairs, Beryl Panje Itoh officially launched on July 5, 2022, in Yaounde, a national campaign to sensitize people on the prevention and early diagnosis of disabilities. With the upsurge in road accidents and crises affecting people in Cameroon, the ministry of social affairs has once again taken the bulls by the horns to alert the public on preventable issues and diseases that lead to disabilities. Presiding at the ceremony on behalf of the Minister of social affairs, the Secretary General outlined in her key address, the necessity to tackle the numerous accidents and crises which affect the lives of citizens. In her address, the Secretary General indicated that: “I have said on other occasions that if the emergence of Cameroon by 2035 is attained through a sustainable fight against poverty, we equally think that this challenge can be met through the prevention of disabilities, for it is universally accepted that a person with a disability is vulnerable and most often a victim of discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion. Yet what we always fail to understand is that persons with disabilities have the same hopes and aspirations as other individuals and they have the same rights as them. In this regard, preventing disabilities becomes synonymous with promoting positivity and inclusiveness in humanity. It means restituting the human dignity of those who formerly suffered exclusion by making them actors and beneficiaries of development…” Mrs. Panje Beryl Itoh said road insecurity in Cameroon is nowadays one of the major causes of disabilities. “The increase in the prevalence rate of deficiencies and causes of handicap has led to a worldwide increase in chronic health problems associated with a handicap such as cardiovascular diseases linked to diabetes, hypertension, overweight, obesity, or mental illness.” While addressing media practitioners, the Secretary General further highlighted the importance of the nationwide campaign which goes in accordance with the missions of the ministry of social affairs. She said: “We noticed that many citizens are now becoming disabled. So our priority in this campaign is to sensitize the population on how they can prevent such disabilities and the early diagnosis that could be made before time. We equally wish through this campaign to rehabilitate persons suffering from disabilities. We all know that MINAS’ target populations are the vulnerable persons and most of them are disabled and therefore with regards to the 2010 Law that seeks to promote and protect the vulnerable, we are more than ever determined in pursuing such missions…” During the launching ceremony, various experts from MINAS, the ministry of transports, the social insurance fund, and international organizations such as CBC, and the Magrabi eye institute made presentations that are vital to the public. According to experts, 1.3 million people worldwide have lost their sight due to road accidents. It was stated that, in our local context, overspeeding is the main cause. An appeal for responsibility was made by the ministries of transports and social affairs. Beryl Panje Itoh in her keynote address reiterated: “Therefore, actors in the social communication and health sectors, those working to prevent road accidents, firefighters, etc., remain the essential and strategic links as far as educating and sensitizing the public on the etiological and sociological factors of disabilities is concerned. What they do is aimed at helping, in no small way, to prevent the occurrence or aggravation of physical, sensorial, and/or mental disabilities or to reduce functional limitation.” As part of this campaign, free screening tests for eye and other related diseases are taking place at the Cardinal Paul Emile Leger Center in Etoug-Ebe, Yaounde.   Elise Kenimbeni

Irate visually impaired persons staged a series of peaceful protests in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Monday, 27th June 2022 in a bid to draw government’s attention on their deplorable living conditions. The group comprising of 27 visually impaired persons known in French as: “Collectif des aveugles et malvoyants indignés du Cameroun (CAMIC)”, launched a series of peaceful protests in the capital after their failed move to meet Prime Minister, Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute, on Monday, June 27, 2022. They were dispersed in front of the Prime Minister’s services by police men of the number 1 central station and later on locked in a corridor. Patrick Bevolo, spokesperson and one of the victims told us: “We found ourselves at the Hilton hotel roundabout around 6am. We were equipped with placards for our sit-in. The police arrived in a pick-up vehicle and started assaulting us. They took us with force to the number 1 central police station. Hours later we were called into the manager’s office. So far, we had a series of meetings with officials of the Ministry of social affairs about our demands. The only thing that we obtained from the ministry of social affairs was on age waiver. We understood that we had to go to the prime minister’s office in abid to express our dissatisfaction. We are marginalized!  We wished through our peace protest to pass on a strong message not only to the national community but also to the international community…” The protesters who till Thursday 30th of June stormed the streets were assaulted by forces of order and threatened to be locked up. In an interview granted to us, one of the protesters said: “We were packed in a mini bus like prisoners and thrown outskirts of Yaounde. Some of us are currently speaking from the locality of Soa where we were abandoned. The crime committed is just to ask for a fair dialogue with the Prime Minister. We want to work; we need employments…” Despite the meeting held on the spot between the police, the Representative of the Mfoundi Senior Divisional officer and officials of the ministry of social affairs, nothing good filtered out. The group of frustrated persons living with visual impairment said the problem is no more at the level of the minister of social affairs who did her best so far, but it is an issue which can only be solved by the Prime Minister who is the head of government. The group underscored the fact that, thousands of young visually impaired persons who are certificate holders remain unemployed despite several laws, international conventions and other legal instruments protecting them. The legal provisions that protect them include Law No 2010/002 of April 13, 2010 on the protection and promotion of persons with disabilities adopted in 2018. Moreover, as indicated by some of those interviewed at the central post office in Yaounde, they are not happy because due to neglect, several of them got involved in unhealthy practices to survive and others like girls have been sexually abused. “We want to see our living conditions ameliorated in spite the fact that our rights are violated. Are you happy to see in the streets of Yaounde, Douala and elsewhere, human beings like you begging as paupers, beating drums and singing in order to have a token to eat or survive, whereas the law is supposed to protect them. Our grievances are attached on the law of April 13, 2010 enacted in 2018 by our government.” Said Aymard Lindjeck, member of the movement dubbed CAMIC. He added: “Another demand we are putting at the forefront as we protest for our rights is simply to reduce taxes of self-entrepreneurial people living with disabilities. Many people living with disabilities, PLWD suffer from an increase in taxes imposed on their petty businesses where as even when grants contest are opened to small and medium enterprises in Cameroon, they are exempted. Furthermore, we call for the integration of PLWD in renown higher institutes of learning thus in 2021 we had three visually impaired persons whose entrance were blocked in the national competitive entrance into the public service.” By dispersing the group of angry visually impaired persons with brutality, forces of order in Cameroon have violated article 21 of the International Human Rights framework on the right of peace assembly, stating that: “the right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others…” Cameroon as a State party to the 1981 African Charter on Human and People’s Rights provides in Article 11 that: “Every individual shall have the right to assemble freely with others. The exercise of this right shall be subject only to necessary restrictions provided for by law in particular those enacted in the interest of national security, the safety, health, ethics and rights and freedoms of others.” Yet, as outlined in the International convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities, in its 10th Article, state parties reaffirm that: “Every human being has the inherent right to life and shall take all necessary measures to ensure its effective enjoyment by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.” At the ministry of social affairs, the director of the department of social protection of persons with disabilities and elderly persons, Mrs. Ambe Angelica said they have organized series of meetings with various groups of persons living with disabilities. She said in the last meeting held in April 2022, the Minister and the various groups came into a compromise concerning the introduction of recruitment files in different ministerial departments. The Director of social protection of persons with disabilities and elderly persons equally pointed out that, the files as promised were deposited on the

La Ministre des affaires sociales du Cameroun, représentante du gouvernement vient de parapher à Rabat au Maroc, un nouvel accord de coopération technique dans le domaine de la protection sociale. Pauline Irène Nguene, Ministre des affaires sociales représentante le gouvernement du Cameroun et Mme Aawatif Hayar, Ministre de la solidarité, de l’insertion sociale et de la famille, représentante du gouvernement du Royaume du Maroc, ont signé le 30 juin 2022 a Rabat, un nouvel accord de coopération technique dans le domaine social, relativement a la promotion de l’enfant, des personnes âgées, des personnes handicapées et du développement social. Ce nouvel accord de collaboration entre les deux pays vient ainsi renforcer la coopération dans le cadre du partage d’expériences, aux échanges des textes législatifs, les publications, des recherches et études ainsi que les documentaires écrits ou audiovisuels dans le domaine social. Dans son discours de circonstance lors de cette cérémonie de signature, la patronne des affaires sociales au Cameroun a exprimé dans un premier temps, les appréciations du gouvernement dont elle fait partie. Pauline Irène Nguene a indiqué que : « Il s’agit ici, de l’aboutissement d’un long processus denégociation dans un domaine stratégique pour nos pays respectifs. Mettant l’humain et son bien-être au centre de sa vision, le Président de la République, Son Excellence M. Paul BIYA, m’a accordé les pleins pouvoirs pour la codification de cet instrument de coopération entre le Cameroun et le Maroc, selon les canaux consacrés. C’est dire tout l’intérêt qu’il porte à la consolidation des relations diplomatiques entre nos deux pays, qui ne cessent de s’intensifier tout en se diversifiant depuis les années 1960, date de leur établissement. Nul doute que ce développement mutuel sous-tendu par l’optimisation de la coopération sud-sud si chère à  S.E.M Paul BIYA et au cœur de la vision de Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI, que Dieul’assiste, ne pourra que porter haut, l’espoir d’une Afrique prospère et autonome. » La Ministre des affaires sociales dans son propos liminaire a souligné le fait que ce nouvel accord, qui inclut une clause de partage d’expériences vient à point nommé au vu des multiples crises qui affectent le monde entier telles que : la pandémie a COVID-19, la guerre en Ukraine et autres impactes sur la crise alimentaire. « Il s’agira donc, dans ce contexte d’instabilité internationale, en marge des partenariats multiformes, d’élaborer ensemble des alternatives aux modèles traditionnels qui se sont avérés limités à l’épreuve des divers chocs exogènes sus évoqués, pour bâtir un écosystème économique et social arcbouté sur nos capacités souveraines au plan sanitaire, pharmaceutique, technologique et même cognitif, susceptibles d’offrir à nos  Etats une véritable autonomie, quant à la prise en charge de ses populations vulnérables et fragiles.Pour atteindre ces objectifs, je suis convaincue que l’échange de bonnes pratiques ainsi que la mutualisation des stratégies qui sous- tendent l’Accord que nous allons parapher dans quelques instants, constituent une démarche idoine, instruite par nos hauts dirigeantsrespectifs, en totale convergence avec les ODD, que nous nous attelons ipso facto à mettre en œuvre… » La Ministre camerounaise a saisi l’occasion de cette cérémonie pour réitérer la ferme volonté du gouvernement du Cameroun à respecter ces engagements contractuels, en vue du rayonnement de la coopération entre les deux pays dans le domaine social. Durant cette visite de travail à Rabat au Maroc, Pauline Irène Nguene a pu faire des descendre de terrain afin de palper les réalités de ce côté dans le volet social. La Ministre des affaires sociales est allée au centre Lalla Meryem de protection des enfants abandonnés ou elle aussi signe le livre d’or. Mme Nguene a également fait une descente au centre social de protection des personnes âgées de Rabat et enfin de journée elle s’est rendue au centre national Mohamed VI ou sont encadres des personnes handicapées. Rédaction de TimesNews2.info