Protests in Cameroon: several journalists assaulted and arrested

An aerial view of Yaoundé, Cameroon.

COLIN DELFOSSE / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

Several rallies against President Paul Biya, organized at the call of part of the opposition, took place in Cameroon on Tuesday.

The mobilization was weak overall on the side of the demonstrators, while opposite, the authorities had planned a significant security device.

Violence took place against several journalists, including our correspondent, Polycarpe Essomba.

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The facts took place at midday, in Yaoundé. 

The crowd is sparse

, groups of dozens of people gather at several points in the capital and in Etoudi, near

Maurice Kamto

, the leader of the Mouvement pour la renaissance du Cameroun (MRC), a rally without violence takes place, until 'that the police come into action.

In front of the opponent's home, three journalists are spotted by police officers: RFI correspondent Polycarpe Essomba, as well as two AFP colleagues.

The police question them, basically reproach our correspondent for damaging Cameroon's image abroad, then hit him with a baton on the back of his neck.

He is then taken to a police van, in which they kick his bare feet.

Kept in custody for several hours in a police station, Polycarpe Essomba then reached the hospital where he returned on Wednesday to undergo additional examinations.

We hope that the authorities will listen to reason

 "

Arrested with him, a journalist and a photographer from Agence France-Presse were taken to the same place for a few hours.

They were not subjected to ill-treatment and were released.

On the other hand, a cameraman from Equinoxe television was brutalized.

On the sound broadcast by the channel, which was picked up by the journalist's device, we can hear screams, beatings and intimidation ... He was briefly hospitalized following illness.

For his part, Lindovi Ndjio of the daily

La Nouvelle Expression

was still in cell this Wednesday noon.

“ 

We regret acts of this type, committed against journalists.

We hope that the authorities will listen to reason and that this kind of act will not become systematic.

We are going to work so that all trades can hear reason.

Because if the journalist has to stay in the office, he is no longer doing his job.

His job is to go into the field, collect information and make this information public,

 ”reacted their employer Séverin Tchounkeu, general manager of the group bringing together Equinoxe and

La Nouvelle Expression

, who is worried about the climate weighing on Cameroonian journalists. .

In addition, according to the National Union of Journalists of Cameroon, three other journalists, from MyPrimeTV and CarrefourTV, were arrested during the demonstration in Douala which brought together a few hundred people.

They were still imprisoned this Wednesday noon.

The SNJC says it is working on their release.

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  • Cameroon

  • Journalism

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