The purpose of this committee is to do everything possible to obtain, by legal and peaceful means, the release of all prisoners of conscience in the country.
In a press release received by our editorial staff and signed on January 21, 2022, Djeukam Tchameni, initiator of the Citizen Consultation Framework (C3) announces to public opinion, the creation of a committee for the release of prisoners of conscience in Cameroon (CLPO ).
The birth of CLPO comes after several convictions of citizens who have been expressing their opinion for several years now. “For the past few years, Cameroonians have watched helplessly as citizens are sentenced to heavy prison terms for their opinions. In order to release ALL prisoners of conscience in Cameroon, a Committee for the Release of Prisoners of Opinion (CLPO) has been created. The CLPO is an Inclusive and Non-Partisan initiative of the Citizen Consultation Framework (C3),” reads the C3 press release.
The C3 makes an important clarification on the political prisoner of conscience and believes that their release will enhance the brand image of democracy in Cameroon. “For the CLPO, a prisoner of conscience is a person who has neither resorted to violence nor advocated its use but who has been imprisoned for the peaceful expression of his political convictions. The Committee intends to work with all those of good will (Families of detainees, Associations for the Defense of Human Rights, Leaders of political parties and civil society, religious and traditional personalities, intellectuals and simple citizens) with a single goal: to coordinate the efforts of each other to obtain by all legal and peaceful means the release of ALL prisoners of conscience in Cameroon, regardless of ideological affiliation. We are convinced that the release of the prisoners will enhance the democratic standing of Cameroon, help to relax the social atmosphere and contribute to the return of lasting peace in our dear country,” writes Djeukam Tchameni.
Initiated in July 2020, the Citizen Consultation Framework (C3) is a meta-organization, the largest grouping of organizations in Cameroon. It currently has around sixty parties, associations and personalities, and remains open to all existing organizations that adhere to its approach based on respect, tolerance and a permanent search for pooling energies for the general interest.
The C3 offers a platform for interaction and constructive consultation between political and social actors in Cameroon on issues of general interest. The first objective of C3 is to get members to talk to each other and get to know each other better. The second objective is to encourage them to identify political or social causes of common interest and to pool their energies around these causes.
