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CAMEROONFollowing a first delegation on March 8, 2004 on the occasion of the International Women's Day and on the appeal of the working women "to all the women of the world", a delegation was received at the Embassy of Cameroon in Paris on Friday, March 19. We hereby publish what transpired. (See issues 65, 66 and 69 of ILC International Newsletter) Unconditional and immediate liberation of our sister and comrade, Mengue Theresa Béatrice, trade unionist at CAMRAIL, arbitrarily jailed eight months ago! This is the delegation's report: Mengue Thérèse Béatrice, employed by CAMRAIL, member of the CGT-Liberté, was arbitrarily arrested on July 10, 2003 and jailed at Kondengui for her trade union activities in Cameroon. Mengue Thérèse Béatrice is the mother of six children the youngest of which is 2 _ and the oldest 18. She has undergone unbearable pressures that have threatened her health and sanity. She has been seriously ill over a month and a half and the state of her health is of grave concern. What is she accused of? The simple defense of CAMRAIL workers' rights through trade union action. After her arrest, and despite judiciary instructionŠ.the prosecutor's office found no offense, she has been kept in preventive detention. The delegation indicated that a campaign of petitions, and stands taken by trade unions in France and on an international level. She quoted the letter addressed to the President of Cameroon by the secretary general of the ICFTU, Guy Rider, who again protested against the latest arrest of Thérèse Béatrice Mengue: September 8, 2003 Mr. President: Re: False accusations against Mr. Benoit Essiga and Mrs. Thérese Béatrice Mengue We have just learned that the authorities of Ngounou have recently rejected the false accusations against 13 of 14 employees of CAMRAIL. We believe the management at CAMRAIL acted with the collusion of certain government authorities, no doubt with the objective of destabilizing the central union CGT-Liberté. We address this pressing appeal for you to intervene with the competent authorities to ensure that the false accusations against Mr. Benoit Essiga and his wife, Mrs. Thérese Béatrice Mengue be equally voided. We also request your intervention so that all the victims of harassment on the part of CAMRAIL are reinstated to their jobs at this company. The affiliates of the ICFTU are closely following the evolution of the dossiers of these victims and decry the anti-union attitude of the new management at CAMRAIL. The very image of the Republic of Cameroon is at risk in the absence of a quick and satisfactory resolution in favor of the victims. We remind you that the incarceration and the physical and more harassment of unionists because of their union activities, constitutes a flagrant violation of international legislation in the matter of union rights and notably a grave lack of respect for ILO Conventions 87 and 98. which Cameroon has ratified respectively in 1960 and 1962. Awaiting your positive and rapid reaction, please receive, Mr. President, our most respectful sentiments. Secretary General ICFTU The chargé d'affaires of the Cameroon embassy declared that he had received the petitions and the various positions had been mailed. He had not received any information since March 8 from the Cameroon authorities. When asked: of what is Mengue Béatrice Thérèse accused of since the public prosecutor's office had not found any charges against her they had nevertheless maintained her in preventive custody, he indicated that not having received any information he could not answer. The delegation insisted on the fact that Mengue was a trade unionist, mother of a family and jailed over eight months, without any charges or judgment against her, that she was sick and it was urgent that she be released. The chargé d'affaires said he would get information and would contact the delegation at that time, that he would receive the delegation again and that a solution would be found. He recalled that CAMRAIL had been privatized and was no longer under the government's control, that the Bolloré group was the new owner.
The delegation plans, while awaiting a new interview, to increase the support in the direction of the embassy and the Cameroon authorities. She communicates this account to all correspondents of the ILC International Newsletter and invites them to widen the international campaign towards the Cameroon authorities for the Unconditional and immediate liberation of Mengue Thérèse Béatrice, trade unionist at CAMRAIL. Increase your support.
Telegrams, fax, mail. M. Paul Biya President of the Republic of Cameroon Presidential Palace Yaounde (Cameroon) Fax : (237) 222 08 70
Minister in charge of Justice, Garde des Sceaux Fax : (237) 223 00 05 M. Nkili Robert Minister of Employment, Work and Social Security Fax : (237) 223 09 40
Petition to the Embassy of Cameroon in France 73, rue d'Auteuil - 75016 Paris Fax : 01 46 51 24 52
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Open World Conference of Workers