At the opening of the second ordinary session of the Senate this Tuesday in Yaoundé, the upper house president, Aboubakary Abdoulaye, urged the Cameroonian government to step up the fight against sexual violence targeting children and femicides, which he described as increasingly alarming.
The Senate president, also Lamido of Rey Bouba, called on authorities for a more determined response to sexual abuse and gender-based killings during his speech at the National Assembly, with Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, the president of the lower house, and several cabinet members in attendance.
He condemned these acts as grave violations of victims’ dignity, integrity, and lives, stating: “Sexual abuse against women and children, as well as femicide, must be fought with unwavering resolve.”
The plea comes amid deep national outrage following the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Yaoundé. That incident has triggered protests and renewed calls for stronger prevention and punishment of gender-based violence.
