Speaking at the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris, France, the member of parliament is pushing for a step-by-step abolition of capital punishment in Cameroon.

According to Cabral Libii, “a truly democratic society is precisely one that manages to reconcile the protection of life, the demand for justice, the safety of citizens, and respect for the rule of law. The challenge is not only to abolish the death penalty, but also to build institutions strong enough that justice inspires confidence without needing to resort to the irreversible.”

“We are honoured to be among the officials, parliamentarians and ministers of justice from more than 130 nationalities taking part in the World Congress Against the Death Penalty.

Cameroon has not yet abolished the death penalty, it is true, but it has carried out no executions since 1997. It can therefore be considered a de facto abolitionist state. This observation inspires the following reflection, which we shared at the 9th World Congress:

1. The protection of life is a fundamental value. The international community (two-thirds of countries) is generally moving towards a gradual reduction in the use of capital punishment, and this trend deserves to be examined with enthusiasm.

Moreover, cutting short the life of an offender—killing him to show that killing is wrong, that what he did is unforgivable—compromises several things, including: repentance, removing the condemned from the heaviest punishment, which is the weight of his guilt and the lasting remorse it generates, and the possibility of remedying a possible judicial error.

2. Each state evolves in its own historical, cultural and security context. The move towards abolition can only be sustainable if it results from an internal democratic process, driven by national institutions and accepted by society. That is why awareness-raising and public education are essential. The role of elected officials and civil society is of particular importance here.

3. Despite retaining the death penalty in its positive law, Cameroon has observed a de facto moratorium on executions for nearly thirty years. This practice reflects a development that should be noted with optimism.

4. The fight against crime depends above all on the quality of justice. The real response to the most serious crimes lies in an independent, impartial, effective justice system that respects fundamental rights, more than in the mere severity of sentences. That is our postulate and the meaning of our personal fight in our country of origin, Cameroon.

5. The progress of fundamental rights is part of a movement toward a global standard of democratic society, but this standard must be implemented taking into account national realities, in order to preserve its legitimacy and accelerate progressiveness.

Ultimately, the death penalty debate should not pit human rights defenders against defenders of security or judicial rigidity.

A truly democratic society is precisely one that manages to reconcile the protection of life, the demand for justice, the safety of citizens and respect for the rule of law. The challenge is not only to abolish the death penalty, but also to build institutions strong enough that justice inspires confidence without needing to resort to the irreversible,” wrote Cabral Libii.