US Military based in Cameroon will be investigated following claims by amnesty international that Boko Haram terror suspects were abused and tortured and that maybe the military personnel turned a blind eye to it.
The Amnesty International 2017 report on torture in Cameroon infers that while the American Military may not have abused and tortured suspected members of the Boko Haram terror group, which claims allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), there is a possibility that they knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it.
US Military AFRICOM to launch investigation
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) will investigate whether the U.S military stationed in Cameroon knew about the abuse by Cameroonian forces who allegedly tortured and possibly killed suspects of the Boko Haram Group.
CNN reported in 2015, that Boko Haram was listed as the "world's deadliest terror group by the Global Terrorism Index."
The Central West African country of Cameroon does have foreign military operating in the country and according to Stars and Stripes, "The U.S. maintains a small presence in Cameroon, which hosts a drone base."
Sputnik explains that the "US military maintains a minimal presence there, while also training with Cameroonian soldiers alongside French forces in the fight against Boko Haram."
AFRICOM has undertaken to find out what, if anything, their troops knew about the allegations of torture that were raised by Amnesty International.
In a statement, Jennifer Dyrcz, a Captain in Command was cited by The Stars and Stripes as saying, "US Africa Command has ordered that an inquiry be conducted into these allegations. As the inquiry is ongoing, we can’t provide specific details about what that entails."
Amnesty International alleged torture by Cameroon soldiers
Boko Haram members may belong to one of the most dangerous terror organizations in the world, but as far as Amnesty International are concerned, that does not mean suspected members of the group can be tortured and abused.
They received reports from victims claiming they had been beaten, tortured and even killed at more than 20 sites across the country.
The concern about the US presence is that they may have known about the torture, but did nothing about it. At least one complainant suggested that "white men" who spoke English were present at a site where he was held.
They spoke English and the complainant said that he thought " they were Americans."
Alioune Tine, the Regional Director for Amnesty International in West and Central Africa was quoted by Sputnik as saying,“Nothing could justify the callous and widespread practice of torture committed by the (Cameroon) security forces."
Cameroon and Boko Haram
Boko Haram based in neighboring Nigeria is a terrorist group who are trying to establish an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria. They are hugely opposed to western based education which they claim lures people away from following Islamic teaching as a way of life.
Following the deaths of hundreds of students at schools, a 2014 incident which USA Today covered, took place.
According to their report, Boko Haram abducted about 234 school girls to use as sex slaves and to intimidate the local population.
Cameroon became involved in the fight against Boko Haram shortly after the incident that took place at the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. At the time, Reuters carried a report that Cameroon deployed over a thousand troops to their northern border following accusations from Nigeria that the country was not doing enough to prevent Boko Haram from sheltering across the rather porous border.
Chad, who also shares a common border also deployed troops to counter Boko Haram movements, along with a joint force that included forces from Niger and Benin.
Retaliatory attacks by Boko Haram include a 2016 attack on a Chad military base that killed six soldiers. The day before, 24 News reported that "a would-be suicide bomber was shot dead before detonating her device as she sped on a motorbike towards a military roadblock near the Cameroonian border town of Kolofata."
Cameroon crackdown on Boko Haram, many suspects imprisoned
In the fight against the Boko Haram terror group, the Cameroonian military and police have detained many suspects for questioning. The Amnesty International report 2017 was the result of prisoners complaining that they were tortured.
AFRICOM will be investigating whether their military personnel in the country were aware of the alleged torture and failed to report it in terms of United States Military Standing Orders.
Stars and Stripes cited AFRICOM's spokesperson as saying that US military service members are required to notify leadership of any "possible, suspected or alleged violation of the law of war for which there is credible information during the conduct of operations."
