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Family of Cameroonian boy killed by US envoy paid $10,000 compensation

Family of Cameroonian boy killed by US envoy paid $10,000 compensation

Cameroon

Compensation has been paid to the family of a boy who was killed in Cameroon by a vehicle in the convoy of the United States’ envoy to the United Nations, Samantha Power.

The 7-year old boy was hit and instantly killed during Power’s visit to assess the havoc wreaked by Boko Haram insurgents in the country.

The package included $10,000 cash amount plus a pair of cows, kilograms of foodstuff including flour, onions, rice, salt, sugar and oil. Beside these, the AP also reports that the community would benefit from a well that would provide drinking water.

An official of the US state department is quoted as saying that the total amount in cash contributed by the US was a million francs (about $1,700). The Cameroonian government, the United Nations and other humanitarian bodies in the convoy also contributed some 5 million francs. ($8,400)

Cameroon-Family of 7yr old Birwe Toussem compensated by USA.
He died aftr being hit by US amb to UN motorcade-AP pic.twitter.com/1D8GCGdmJY

— Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) June 29, 2016

State department spokesman Jeffrey Loree called it a “compensation package commensurate with local custom, as well as the needs of the family and village.”

SUGGESTED READINGCameroonian boy killed by convoy of US envoy to the UN

A jeep in Samantha Power’s convoy killed 7-year old Birwe Toussem, Power later met the family and community and promised that they would be duly compensated for the loss of the boy.

At a media briefing on April 18 in Cameroon Power related the circumstances surrounding the death in a statement which read in parts; ‘‘This afternoon, I joined the governor of the area – the Cameroonian governor, the leading UN official who manages the humanitarian and development response, and Ambassador Hoza, and we visited with the boy’s family to offer our profound condolences and to express our grief and heartbreak over what the family is going through. So I wanted to share that immediately.’‘

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