“SACRILEGE IN THE SANCTUARY: The Military Occupation of Southern Cameroons and the Systematic Rape of a Generation”

C. Executive Summary (Abstract):

· The Trigger: Summarize the Principal’s letter—a courageous act of whistleblowing from within a trusted institution.

· The Accusation: State clearly that Cameroonian soldiers, deployed as “protectors,” are using schoolgirls and village girls as “sexual objects.”

· The Scale: Acknowledge that this one letter exposes a pattern of abuse that is likely widespread and vastly underreported.

· The Consequences: Highlight the physical (disease, pregnancy), psychological (trauma), and social (stigma) devastation.

· The Core Demand: Call for the Catholic Church, as the last bastion of moral authority, to move beyond condemnation to tangible, disruptive action, including shutting down institutions and leading a moral march to the barracks.

· The Ultimate Goal: To spur international intervention, force government accountability, and end the weaponization of sexual violence in the conflict.

Page 2: Introduction – A Cry from the Heart of the Church

Header: “They Were Sent to Serve, They Served Themselves”

1. The Opening Hook: Begin with the most powerful quote from the Principal’s letter: “That we sent the military to serve, but they served themselves.” Frame this not as a complaint, but as a cry of betrayal from a shepherd witnessing the wolves devour his flock.

2. Contextualize the Setting: Briefly describe the Catholic College of St. Joseph de Lassin—a place meant to be a sanctuary of learning, safety, and moral formation. Contrast this with the brutal reality of the ongoing conflict in the North-West and South-West regions.

3. State the Editorial’s Purpose: This is not just about one school. The letter from Lassin is a microcosm of a national tragedy. This editorial will:

· Dissect the accusation as a weapon of war.

· Examine the catastrophic health and social impacts.

· Condemn the systemic failure of the State.

· Issue a direct, urgent call to action to the Bishop and the global Church.

4. Thesis Statement Reinforced: Conclude the introduction by firmly stating that silence and inaction in the face of this evidence are tantamount to complicity.

Page 3: The Evidence – The Lassin Letter and the Anatomy of a War Crime

Header: “Documented Betrayal: From Whistleblower to War Crime Dossier”

1. Analyzing the Letter:

· The Author: A Catholic Principal—a figure of authority and trust. This gives the accusation immense credibility.

· The Recipient: The Prefect (state official). This was an official complaint through state channels, indicating a futile attempt to work within the system.

· The Language: The phrase “using as sex objects” is a stark, unflinching description of sexual slavery and rape. It strips away euphemisms.

2. Placing it in a Broader Pattern:

· Cite reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN that have previously documented patterns of sexual violence by security forces in the region.

· Reference the 2019 report by the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) on sexual violence in the conflict.

· Argue that the Lassin letter is not an anomaly but a data point confirming a well-established, systematic pattern.

3. International Law Framework:

· Briefly state how these acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

· Define them as a form of torture and a tool of genocide (destroying a group through its future generations).

Page 4: The Survivors – The Invisible Wounds of a Stolen Future

Header: “We Don’t Know How Many Children Are Infected With Diseases”

1. The Physical Scourge:

· HIV/AIDS: The lifelong sentence. Discuss the lack of access to Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and antiretroviral therapy in a conflict zone.

· Other STIs: Untreated syphilis, gonorrhea, and HPV (which causes cervical cancer).

· Unwanted Pregnancies: The trauma of bearing a child of rape, leading to unsafe abortions, maternal mortality, or forced motherhood and social ostracization.

· Gynaecological Fistula: A devastating childbirth injury often resulting from rape, especially in young girls.

2. The Psychological Hell:

· Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

· The destruction of self-worth and the ability to form healthy relationships.

3. The Social Death:

· Stigma from their own communities.

· Forced withdrawal from school, destroying their educational and economic prospects.

· The intergenerational trauma inflicted upon the entire community.

Page 5: The Perpetrators – A System of Impunity

Header: “The Occupation Army: A Culture of Impunity and Command Responsibility”

1. Not “A Few Bad Apples”: Argue against this narrative. The scale and repetition indicate a systemic issue, either actively encouraged or tacitly permitted by the chain of command.

2. Weapon of War: Analyze how sexual violence is used strategically to:

· Terrorize and punish communities suspected of supporting separatists.

· Humiliate and emasculate men who are unable to protect their women and children.

· Destroy the social and cultural fabric of the Anglophone regions.

3. The Wall of Impunity: Describe how the lack of any meaningful prosecutions of soldiers for these crimes creates an environment where such behaviour is incentivized.

Page 6: The Failed State – The Prefect and the Empty Promise of Protection

Header: “Complaint to the Prefect: An Appeal to a Deaf State”

1. The State’s Dual Role: The Principal wrote to the Prefect, the senior state official in the area. This act demonstrates a final, desperate hope for state intervention.

2. The State’s Failure: The very fact that the military remains in place and the abuse continues is a testament to the state’s failure. The state is either unwilling or unable to control its own forces.

3. From Protector to Predator: The Cameroonian state, through its military, has fundamentally violated its raison d’être: to protect its citizens. It has become the primary source of terror.

Page 7: The Call to the Church I – A Moral Crossroads

Header: “Your Shepherds Are Watching the Flock Being Ravaged: A Direct Address to the Bishop”

1. The Church’s Unique Position: The Catholic Church is one of the few institutions with the moral authority, infrastructure, and international reach to act meaningfully.

2. The Prophetic Tradition: Remind the Bishop of the Church’s long tradition of speaking truth to power, from the prophets of old to modern figures like Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

3. The Stakes of Inaction: Remaining silent or issuing only mild, private condemnations betrays the victims, legitimizes the oppressor, and makes the Church complicit in the ongoing atrocity.

Page 8: The Call to the Church II – From Words to Action

Header: “Shut the Doors, Take to the Streets: A Manifesto for Action”

1. Demand 1: SHUT DOWN THE INSTITUTIONS.

· Rationale: Keeping schools and churches open while the military uses them as hunting grounds is immoral. A shutdown is a powerful, non-violent form of protest that:

· Protects children physically.

· Sends an unmistakable message to the state and the world.

· Creates a crisis that the state cannot ignore.

2. Demand 2: LEAD A MORAL MARCH TO THE BARRACKS.

· Rationale: The Bishop, his priests, and the lay faithful must march peacefully to the local military barracks.

· The Scene: Imagine the global media image: men of God in their vestments, facing down soldiers, praying for their souls and demanding they cease their atrocities.

· The Demand: Present a list of demands directly to the commander: immediate withdrawal of the specific unit, independent investigation, and medical care for victims.

3. Demand 3: ESTABLISH SANCTUARIES AND SUPPORT.

· Use Church facilities as protected spaces for survivors to receive medical care, psychosocial support, and documentation of their testimonies for future justice.

Page 9: The International Call – No More Blind Eyes

Header: “To the World: Your Complicity is Measured in Your Silence”

1. Call for the United Nations: Demand that the UN Security Council place the Cameroon situation on its agenda and impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo on the Cameroonian government.

2. Call for the African Union: Condemn the AU’s silence. Urge immediate intervention and mediation.

3. Call for the United States, UK, France, and Canada: These key allies and donors must publicly condemn the actions and suspend all non-humanitarian military aid to Cameroon.

4. Call for the International Criminal Court: Urge the ICC Prosecutor to actively include these acts of sexual violence in their ongoing preliminary examination of the situation in Cameroon.

Page 10: Conclusion – The Last Stand for Humanity

Header: “The Hour of Decision”

1. Recap the Horror: Briefly reiterate the stark reality—girls are being raped by the very soldiers sent to protect them, within the confines of a religious school.

2. Echo the Principal’s Courage: Honour the Principal’s bravery and state that it now falls on others with greater power to show the same courage.

3. Final, Direct Appeal to the Bishop: “Your Excellency, history and God will judge what you do in this moment. Will you be the shepherd who closed the gates to protect the sheep, or the one who watched from a distance as they were slaughtered? Lead your men to the barracks. Shut the schools. Force the world to see. The blood of the children of Lassin, and of all Southern Cameroons, cries out to you from the ground. Do not let their cry be in vain.”

4. A Message of Solidarity to the People: End with a powerful message to the people of Ambazonia, assuring them that the world is being forced to witness their suffering and that their resilience will not be forgotten.

Final, Standalone Quote: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke.

By Funtong Daniel, MSN, AGACNP