Muslim Scholar Abdulkarim clocks 2 years in jail, calls for humanitarian support

YAOUNDE, Cameroon ( CNA)– A Cameroonian activist detained last year has described dire conditions inside the country’s prisons, including hunger, disease, and a lack of medical care.

Abdulkarim, who was arrested on Aug. 11, 2022, and accused of promoting the independence of former Southern Cameroons, said in a message that detainees are facing a humanitarian crisis.

This Sunday marks Two years since the arrest.

“Prisoners cannot feed twice daily, and they cannot treat malaria among other issues affecting them,” he said. “People are dying, some developing arthritis, some getting blind while many wallow in hunger.”

Abdulkarim, who insisted he was abducted rather than arrested, urged the diaspora to donate to help those incarcerated. He vowed to continue advocating for the independence of the former British Southern Cameroon territory.