Las violaciones de los derechos humanos continúan siendo algo recurrente en muchos

Estados del mundo incluso hoy en pleno siglo XXI. Aun cuando son considerados

Universales y necesarios para el desarrollo de una vida plena, son ignorados o dejados a

un lado frente a otras prioridades como las tradiciones culturales o asuntos más

pragmáticos como la preocupación por la Seguridad por parte de un Estado.

Según Mingst and McKibben States, as the Westphalian tradition and realists posit, are

primarily responsable for protecting human rights standards within their own

jurisdiction. (370). En la actualidad cuando la interdependencia entre los Estados como

consecuencia de la Globalizacion muchos Estados, especialmente aquellos con

gobiernos democráticos han extendido esa preocupación más allá de sus fronteras. En

este sentido, Mins afirma que este interese se debe principalmente a dos razones: el

interés propio, al garantizar un vecino o aliado que comparte sus mismos valores, y la

segunda razón es que en los Estados liberales se toman muy enserio la protección de los

individuos frente a los abusos de autoridades gubernamentales. Las ONG cumplen un

papel fundamental en este sentido pues pese a no tener el poder de las instituciones

gubernamentales, pueden participar en situaciones de violaciones de derechos humanos

de muchas formas sin ser consideradas como una intromisión en la soberanía de los

Estados.

Mingst and McKibben explican que si bien los Estados son en teoría garantes de los

derechos humanos, son también en muchas oportunidades quienes vulneran estos

derechos. En el mismo sentido también afirman que Authoritarian or autocratic states

are more likely to abuse political and civil rights, while less developed states, even

liberal democratic ones, may be unable or unwilling to meet basic obligations of social

and economic rights due to scarce resources or lack of political will. (374) Una

situación donde con frecuencia ocurren violaciones de derechos por parte de los Estados
es cuando estos consideran que su seguridad se ve amenazada. Sin embargo tal

argumento no justifica en ninguna forma muchos excesos que van desde la tortura, la

encarcelación arbitraria hasta las ejecuciones selectivas y el genocidio. Para ejercer

presión sobre los Estados que incurren en violaciones de derechos humanos se utilizan

gran variedad de estrategias. Mingst and McKibben señala que puede usarse la

diplomacia, las sanciones económicas unilaterales y multilaterales e incluso el uso de la

fuerza militar, aun cuando este último recurso es considerado controversial.(375)

Un ejemplo reciente es el caso de Camerun. Kola Sulaimon reseña para Africanews los

acontecimientos violentos ocurridos en el país africano en los últimos años y señala que

la guerra estalló en octubre de 2017 cuando los militantes declararon un estado

independiente en la región del noroeste y el suroeste. Sin embargo, gran parte de los

daños y violaciones han sido causados por las fuerzas de seguridad de Camerun, tal

como señala Danielle Paquette para el Washinton Post las violaciones por parte del

gobierno incluyen “ejecuciones extrajudiciales y detenciones ilegales en medio de

conflictos que han desplazado a más de medio millón de personas en los últimos dos

años” y ha causado preocupación a la comunidad Internacional principalmente a los

EEUU quienes a fin de presionar al gobierno camerunés ha suprimido de los privilegios

de la AGOA de Camerún la cual consiste en un acuerdo libre de impuestos para los

productos designados exportados desde los países africanos, pero tal como señala Chris

W.J. Roberts es posible que esto no sea suficiente. Para EEUU constituye un tema

importante dado que Camerun es un socio importante en asunto de seguridad en el

continente africano
Referencias

Karen Mingst, Heather McKibben Essentials of International Relations NINTH

EDITION

Danielle Paquette Trump ends trade benefits for Cameroon over ‘persistent human

rights violations’ www.washingtonpost.com November 1, 2019

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/trump-ends-trade-benefits-for-cameroon-

over-persistent-human-rights-violations/2019/11/01/529bb568-fca7-11e9-9e02-

1d45cb3dfa8f_story.html

Chris W.J. Roberts Trump Must Put Real Pressure on Cameroon NOVEMBER 7, 2019
foreignpolicy.com https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/07/trump-must-put-real-pressure-on-
cameroon/

KOLA SULAIMON/AFP Cameroon's separatist conflict spills into Nigeria Africanews 18/03

https://www.africanews.com/2022/03/18/cameroon-s-separatist-conflict-spills-into-nigeria/

Human rights violations continue to be a recurrent issue in many States around the

world even today in the 21st century. Even though they are considered universal and

necessary for the development of a full life, they are ignored or put aside in the face of

other priorities such as cultural traditions or more pragmatic issues such as a State's

concern for security.

According to Mingst and McKibben States, as the Westphalian tradition and realists

posit, are primarily responsible for protecting human rights standards within their own

jurisdiction. (370). At present, with the interdependence between States as a

consequence of globalization, many States, especially those with democratic

governments, have extended this concern beyond their borders. In this sense, Mins

affirms that this interest is mainly due to two reasons: self-interest, by guaranteeing a

neighbor or ally that shares the same values, and the second reason is that in liberal

states the protection of individuals against abuses by government authorities is taken

very seriously. NGOs play a fundamental role in this regard because, although they do

not have the power of government institutions, they can participate in situations of

human rights violations in many ways without being considered an intrusion on the

sovereignty of states.

Mingst and McKibben explain that although States are in theory the guarantors of

human rights, they are also on many occasions the ones who violate these rights. In the

same sense, they also state that Authoritarian or autocratic states are more likely to

abuse political and civil rights, while less developed states, even liberal democratic

ones, may be unable or unwilling to meet basic obligations of social and economic

rights due to scarce resources or lack of political will. (374) A situation where violations

of rights by States frequently occur is when they consider that their security is

threatened. However, such an argument in no way justifies many excesses ranging from

torture and arbitrary imprisonment to targeted executions and genocide. A variety of

strategies are used to exert pressure on states that engage in human rights violations.

Mingst and McKibben point out that diplomacy, unilateral and multilateral economic

sanctions and even the use of military force can be used, even though the latter is

considered controversial.(375)

A recent example is the case of Cameroon. Kola Sulaimon reviews for Africanews the

violent events in the African country in recent years and notes that war broke out in
October 2017 when militants declared an independent state in the northwest and

southwest region. However, much of the damage and violations have been caused by

Cameroon's security forces, As Danielle Paquette points out for the Washington Post,

violations by the government include "extrajudicial killings and illegal detentions amid

conflicts that have displaced more than half a million people in the past two years" and

have caused concern to the international community, especially the United States, which

in order to pressure the Cameroonian government has removed Cameroon's AGOA

privileges, which is a duty-free arrangement for designated products exported from

African countries, but as Chris W. Roberts points out, it is possible that this may not be

the case. J. Roberts points out, this may not be enough. For the US, this is an important

issue given that Cameroon is an important security partner on the African continent.

References

Karen Mingst, Heather McKibben Essentials of International Relations NINTH

EDITION

Danielle Paquette Trump ends trade benefits for Cameroon over 'persistent human rights

violations' www.washingtonpost.com November 1, 2019

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/trump-ends-trade-benefits-for-cameroon-
over-persistent-human-rights-violations/2019/11/01/529bb568-fca7-11e9-9e02-

1d45cb3dfa8f_story.html

Chris W.J. Roberts Trump Must Put Real Pressure on Cameroon NOVEMBER 7, 2019

foreignpolicy.com https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/07/trump-must-put-real-pressure-

on-cameroon/

KOLA SULAIMON/AFP Cameroon's separatist conflict spills into Nigeria Africanews

18/03

https://www.africanews.com/2022/03/18/cameroon-s-separatist-conflict-spills-into-

nigeria/