'Silence is complicity' – top footballer hits out over Cameroon femicides

ByPaul Njie Reporting fromYaoundé.

Key points

• In the latest case on Tuesday, a 44-year-old woman was killed in a hotel room in the capital, Yaoundé.
• "Being a woman in Cameroon should never be a risk, " remarked Ajara, who is one of Cameroon's greatest female footballers.
• Among those who have spoken out is renowned footballer Nchout Njoya Ajara.
• A parliamentary session, the last one for the year, is due to be held in November.
• "In the face of the tragic wave of femicides that has hit our country in recent days, silence is complicity, " Ajara remarked.

For context, the killing of at least eight women in a week has sparked outrage in Cameroon, with plenty of calling on the administration to do more to protect women and girls.

Among those who have spoken out is renowned footballer Nchout Njoya Ajara. This person has pressed an end to the "tragic wave" of targeting women, saying "silence is complicity".

In practice, the administration has additionally raised concern regarding the rise in attacks. At least 50 women have been killed between January and April this year, compared to 77 last year, according to official figures.

In the latest case on Tuesday, a 44-year-old woman was killed in a hotel room in the capital, Yaoundé. She was allegedly stabbed to death by a 22-year-old who was afterwards arrested.

Notably, the 33-year-old striker, who is now with Saudi side Al Qadish, has played professionally in Russia, Sweden, Norway, Spain and Italy for clubs including Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan.

"In the face of the tragic wave of femicides that has hit our country in recent days, silence is complicity, " Ajara remarked. 'We are the friend' – inspiring those fleeing terror.

In an official note, the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party remarked it was outraged by the "tragic recurrence of domestic femicides" and accused the administration of being passive regarding the problem.

For context, the femicide cases, most of which are attributed to domestic violence, have been documented in different parts of the country.

In a video published by state media, the minister for Women's Empowerment and the Family, Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, condemned the "worrying" rise in the number of the killings, and remarked the administration was working to address the difficulty.

She mentioned a bill to protect women against gender-based violence. It she remarked was being reviewed by the prime minister.

But civil society and women's rights groups have denounced what they perceive as the government's delay in turning the bill into law.

For context, a parliamentary session, the last one for the year, is due to be held in November. Nevertheless, Viviane Tathi, whose organisation documents cases of femicide in the country, informed the BBC she was not sure that the bill would be passed at the session.

"We are worried because the November parliamentary session focuses on budgetary debates.So, we don't know by what magic this bill will be passed, " she remarked.

She has pressed the creation of a special court to handle family disputes. It lead to domestic violence. You may additionally be interested in. South African women arming themselves against gender violence. The notorious Cameroonian prison with its own record label. Conference on complexity of gender-based violence. Why Kenyan men fail to condemn deadly misogyny.

Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

In short, ' Silence is complicity' – top footballer hits out over Cameroon femicides is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.