Cameroon: questions still to be asked after the death of journalist Samuel Wazizi

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The national journalists' union of Cameroon (SNJC) is organizing this Tuesday, June 9, a mobilization in Douala, Bamenda and Buea to request that the light be shed on the death of Samuel Wazizi. In a letter it wishes to deliver to the authorities, the SNJC will request the formalization of a commission of inquiry to clarify the circumstances of the journalist's death.

Publicity

Last Friday, the Cameroonian army confirmed the death of the presenter of the regional channel Chillen Media Television, after his arrest, in early August 2019, near Buea. A few days after the publication of this press release, questions still arise for the defense organizations of Cameroonian and international journalists.

The first concerns the circumstances of the death of Samuel Wazizi. The Cameroonian Ministry of Defense claims that the journalist died on August 17 - 14 days after his arrest - as a result of severe sepsis, at the military hospital in Yaoundé.

The ministry rules out any act of torture, a hypothesis put forward by several organizations including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for whom Samuel Wazizi was in good health when he was arrested. RSF indicates that it had access to photos taken a few days before his death, on which he presents numerous injuries.

Organizations and journalists are also wondering about the date of death: why was 10 months necessary to reveal the death of their colleague? Authorities say they immediately notified the family of the death. Why then have, since then, allowed his lawyer to appear fourteen times in justice if Samuel Wazizi was already dead?

Finally, on what grounds and under what conditions was the journalist arrested? The authorities mention a field operation and suspicions of "  intelligence with the terrorists  " in this region of the English-speaking west.

On Twitter, the president of the SNJC denounces a fabric of lies and calls for an independent investigation, like the journalist's relatives and his defense.

The establishment of a commission of inquiry was promised Friday, June 5 by President Paul Biya during a meeting with the Ambassador of France.

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• Cameroon
• Justice