Cameroon: Paris reaffirms its position in the Wazizi and Vamoulké cases

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French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian "hopes that the Cameroonian authorities will open an independent investigation" into the death in detention of journalist Samuel Wazizi. Before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Wednesday, the head of diplomacy also said he was "attentive" to the situation of journalist Amadou Vamoulké, recalling that he was entitled to a fair trial.

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A month ago, the French ambassador to Cameroon said, after an interview with President Paul Biya, that he had obtained from the Head of State the opening of an investigation into the death of journalist Samuel Wazizi English speaker who died in detention. Nothing has happened since.

This time, it is the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who takes a stand: "  We are shocked by the death in detention of journalist Samuel Wazizi and we hope that the Cameroonian authorities will conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of his death.  "

The minister also spoke on the situation of another journalist, the former boss of the Cameroonian public broadcasting, Amadou Vamoulké , accused of embezzlement of public funds and detained for almost four years. "  We have repeatedly argued that the independence of the judiciary must be respected, but that the law must be respected. Mr. Vamoulké is entitled to a fair trial. In each of our exchanges with the Cameroonian authorities, we recall these principles and we are very attentive to the way in which all this will unfold. We are taking the necessary actions wherever we can to make this happen,  ”said Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Last month, the UN working group on arbitrary detention estimated that Amadou Vamoulké's pre-trial detention had "  no legal basis  ". He asked the Cameroonian state to release the journalist.

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• Cameroon
• France
• Media
• Justice
• Jean-Yves Le Drian

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