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157:, but that women and children have also been held. Both men and women have been tortured. Tortured detainees have testified that American soldiers were present at BIR bases where they were detained. Every year since 2010, the US State Department has issued a report accusing the BIR of human rights abuses including killings and assaults.
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praised the unit, stating, "In their training, conduct, and leadership, the BIR exhibited all of the values we expect in our own armed forces — professionalism, protection of the civilian population, and respect for human rights." The US military has confirmed that works with the BIR in the fight
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The BIR is better equipped, trained and paid than ordinary units in
Cameroon's army. The unit is led by a retired Israeli officer and reports directly to Cameroon's president, instead of to the ministry of defense. The BIR has worked closely with the US military since 2007 or earlier.
568:"Possible site of #Cameroon execution video? It's a work in progress with @danriversitv & @bellingcat resources. The possible location is 10.92666667, 14.16722222 as suggested by @danriversitv - I've just added a few more notes on the path. Again, this is a work in progress"
152:
Amnesty
International has accused the BIR of torturing detainees, supporting these accusations with leaked videos of soldiers wearing BIR uniforms and torturing detainees. The organization has stated that the detainees are primarily men of military age, Muslim, and of
93:
The BIR has launched
Operation Alpha, a counterterrorism campaign against Boko Haram that has received international support. The operation's efforts have been central to the war waged by Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and Chad against Boko Haram.
81:, meant to increase regional military cooperation between central African nations and the United States. The BIR hosted a significant portion of the exercises, involving 32 nations including the UK, France and Germany, at its base in
553:
An investigation by
Amnesty International experts has gathered credible evidence that it was Cameroonian soldiers depicted in a video carrying out the horrific extrajudicial executions of two women and two young
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A part of the BIR's objectives includes controlling the illegal circulation of arms. The BIR has also been cited by poachers and ivory traders as a threat to illegal trade in animal goods.
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in
Nigeria, where it converted a closed school into a military base. In 2016, approximately 1000 BIR soldiers were reported to have captured the town of Kumshe, Nigeria from Boko Haram.
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The unit is supported by the United States, reports directly to the president of
Cameroon, and has played a large part in the Cameroonian and regional war against
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Michael Page, a former US state department and intelligence analyst, has described the BIR as a
Cameroonian "army within-an-army" for the United States.
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39:. The unit has also been accused of torturing and killing detainees at a number of its bases in northern Cameroon and in Nigeria.
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against Boko Haram, and has stated that approximately 300 US military personnel are working with the BIR at any given time.
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denied that the men were actually BIR soldiers, instead claiming that they were separatists in captured uniforms. An
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The BIR was created in 2001 in
Cameroon's struggle against armed groups and gangs on its borders.
537:"Cameroon military extrajudicial execution of women and children. Most horrendous act to watch"
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BIR soldiers speak with
American military advisors at their military base in Salak, Cameroon.
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281:"Cameroonian Troops Tortured and Killed Prisoners at Base used for US Drone Surveillance"
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Soldiers of BIR during exercise Silent
Warrior 2013 in Bamenda, Cameroon Jan. 29, 2013
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348:"In the war on Boko Haram, is the U.S. turning a blind eye to Cameroon's abuses?"
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105:, Salak is also used as an illegal prison to house persons detained by the BIR.
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201:, linked the BIR to the execution of women and children, believed to be in
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245:"US military launches inquiry into torture allegations at Cameroon base"
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began an inquiry into the torture allegations at the request of General
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393:"Obangame/Saharan Express 2016 concludes". DefenceWeb. 30 March 2016.
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517:"Video shows Cameroon army killing women and children, says Amnesty"
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has shown BIR soldiers burning a house down in the Azi village of
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Elephant meat trade in Central Africa : Cameroon case study
491:"Cameroon 'torturing people accused of supporting Boko Haram'"
28:) is an elite military force and an army combat unit of the
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The BIR also conducts operations from the border town of
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African Immersion: American College Students in Cameroon
436:"Au Nigeria, Kumché libérée de l'emprise de Boko Haram"
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The BIR has received equipment and training from the
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Rapid Intervention Battalion in Maroua, Jan. 17 2019
136:. In the spring of 2016, US Ambassador to Cameroon
463:"Burning Cameroon: Images you're not meant to see"
77:- sponsored Exercise Obangame and Saharan Express
416:. Forensic Architecture and Amnesty International
279:Trafford, Robert; Turse, Nick (20 July 2017).
193:investigation by individuals associated with
73:In 2016, the BIR participated in the US- and
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375:Randolph, Shannon; Stiles, Daniel (2011).
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410:"Cameroon's Secret Torture Chambers"
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185:. Cameroon's Communication Minister
97:The operation's headquarters are in
566:Strick, Benjamin (July 13, 2018).
148:Accusations of human rights abuses
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515:Maclean, Ruth (July 13, 2018).
471:. June 25, 2018. Archived from
22:Bataillon d'Intervention Rapide
489:Maclean, Ruth (19 July 2017).
346:Page, Matthew (26 July 2017).
243:Browne, Ryan (7 August 2017).
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578:on July 13, 2018 – via
18:Rapid Intervention Battalion
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43:Structure and activities
30:Cameroonian Armed Forces
438:. RFI. 24 February 2016
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305:Amin, Julius (2014).
215:Boko Haram insurgency
199:Amnesty International
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103:Amnesty International
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599:Military of Cameroon
187:Issa Tchiroma Bakary
175:Footage analyzed by
352:The Washington Post
311:. Lexington Books.
168:, the commander of
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475:on June 26, 2018.
220:Anglophone Crisis
166:Thomas Waldhauser
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593:Categories
500:14 January
442:14 January
420:14 January
357:14 January
324:14 January
290:14 January
251:14 January
226:References
195:bellingcat
37:Boko Haram
554:children.
162:U.S. Army
547:July 13,
468:BBC News
209:See also
79:wargames
580:Twitter
541:YouTube
379:. IUCN.
170:AFRICOM
110:Fotokol
75:AFRICOM
315:
197:, and
134:Israel
83:Idenau
572:Tweet
247:. CNN
191:OSINT
99:Salak
24:, or
549:2018
502:2018
444:2018
422:2018
359:2018
326:2018
313:ISBN
292:2018
253:2018
132:and
16:The
26:BIR
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
