Social Democratic Front [SDF]
The Social Democratic Front [SDF] is the leading opposition political party in Cameroon and membership is not illegal. Nonetheless, individuals in the north west and south west regions of Cameroon, as a result of their tendency to support the SDF, suffered disproportionately from human rights abuses committed by the government and its security forces. It draws most of its support from the predominantly anglophone South-West Province and North-West Province. The government has invariably accused the SDF of being separatist, like the SCNC. As a result, many members of the SDF have been arrested and detained after being accused of supporting secession for the two provinces. A January 2009 report on Cameroon by Amnesty International states that many SDF members have been arrested and detained after being accused of supporting secession. However, the report also states that “although government suspicions against the SDF have persisted, there have been far fewer detentions of its members in recent years”.
Genuine SDF members carry a membership card. The membership card includes the party logo, the motto and a ward. False membership cards however, can be obtained, usually by theft and occasionally from people that have lost their position in the party but do not return their documents but instead sell them to someone. SDF membership cards have also been obtained fraudulently in other countries. Fru Ndi has received reports that there is a business in Washington, USA that duplicates the membership cards then sells them for approximately US $1,000 to people wanting to strengthen their asylum case.
Reports indicate recent incidences in which SDF supporters and members have been mistreated by government authorities. In April 2008 Pierre Roger Lambo Sandjo, an SDF supporter, was arrested for singing songs critical of the President?s proposed amendments to the constitution. According to the report Sandjo was charged with damage caused by a protest in February 2008. The court sentenced him to three years? imprisonment and ordered him to pay a total of 280 million CFA francs (approx US$640,000) as compensation for damage caused to several private businesses and a government department whose property the court claimed he had caused to be destroyed.
The SDF was founded in early 1990 and gained legal recognition in March 1991. The SDF is the leading opposition political party and contested the legislative elections in 2007. John Fru Ndi, National Chairman of the SDF told the United Kingdom delegation of a fact finding mission to Cameroon in January 2004 that government officials and the police harassed and intimidated members of the SDF. According to John Fru Ndi, young people whose parents are members of the SDF in particular were harassed and intimidated by the Government. He further stated that many young SDF supporters were also stopped from obtaining jobs or starting up new businesses.
While stating that it was difficult for many young SDF supporters to live in Cameroon because of the harassment and intimidation, John Fru Ndi noted that this form of intimidation was not used against all SDF members. In February 2008, the police in Douala disrupted marches organised by the SDF against constitutional reform. The police reportedly used water cannon, trucks, and tear gas to disperse demonstrators in addition to beatings with rubber batons. On one occasion, the police reportedly shot and killed a person when they attacked a crowd gathered for a SDF organised march.
Amnesty International also reported that in 2008 some members of the SDF were arbitrarily arrested and detained. SDF support comes mainly from Anglophones, especially from the North West Region, and from Bamilekes – people whose routes are in the West Region, but who are also numerous in Douala and other towns. They reportedly suffer disproportionately from human rights abuses committed by the Government and its security forces.
The SDF is the largest opposition party to play a major role in opposition political activity. It is a registered party and therefore being a member is not illegal. Whilst the police have disrupted some marches organised by the SDF and reportedly arrested and detained some members of the SDF, membership of, involvement in, or perceived involvement in the SDF at any level is not likely to amount to ill-treatment that engages the UK?s obligations under the 1951 Convention. The nature of the political activity and level of involvement with any political party, including the SDF, should be thoroughly investigated as the grant of asylum may be appropriate in some cases.
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