Arrested Journalists, Protesters Spend First Night In Detention

 

By Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe

 

At least three journalists and several others arrested around the country following yesterday’s protest have spent their first Night in various detention centers in the country.

The protest was called by the leadership of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement of Maurice Kamto, self proclaimed leader of the last Presidential elections in Cameroon.

 

The political party leader announced a protest for September, 22 calling on the Head of State, President Paul Biya to leave power and forget about organizing Regional Elections while the Anglophone crisis persist.

 

Media Casualties

Reporter and TV Presenter for My Media Prime Television, Jarvis Tah, alongside his cameraman, Tebong Christian, have spent a night in detention after they were picked up by anti riot officers in Douala as they were covering the protest.

 

Other journalists reportedly arrested by same forces include, Lindovi Ndjio of La Nouvelle Expression and Rodrigues Ngassi, Cameraman of Equinox TV.

 

The Cameroon Association Of English Speaking Journalists, The National Syndicate Of Journalists in Cameroon and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have condemned the arrests with call for their immediate an unconditional release.

 

Strangely as if he was a prophet announcing his arrest, Jarvis took to Facebook In a post on September 21, advising Security and Defense Forces on the need to let Journalists do their job, while they do theirs.

 

We were informed that Tah Jarvis and his cameraman, where at custody at a center in Mboppi, Douala.

 

We could not confirm where the others were detained, nor if they were eventually released by the time we got to press.

It is also alleged that one of the journalists arrested was tripped off his dresses before dumped n the cell, in violation of basic human rights.

MRC’s Victims

On the camp of the militants of the MRC, reports have it that many of them were also arrested in the course of the protest and taken to different detention centers in the Nation’s Capital Yaounde and the Economic Capital Douala, where the protest was at its peak.

A Yaounde based reporter said he spoke with the Assistant National Treasurer of the MRC whom according to him seems to be the only official of the party who could be reached by phone at that moment.

 

According to the reporter, Kamto's spokesperson Bibou Nissack was arrested at his residence and put under house arrest since morning but when he tried to force his way out of the house, he was taken to an unknown destination by forces of law and order.

 Bibou Nissack's phone we are informed had been ringing but no one on the other side to answer.

As for Maurice Kamto, our source said he remained under house arrest throughout the protest which he called for.

Our source hinted that about ten persons suspected to be MRC supporters were ferried past the judicial police to an unknown destination.

 

We are also informed that MRC lawyers have been making rounds at the various police stations and gendermerie brigades in Yaounde to take stock of their arrested supporters.

 

Government Statement

Prior to the September 22 protest, Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Sadi had issued a press statement termed “Calls for popular uprising and the overthrow of institutions by leaders of a political party”.

 

According to the Minister, and Government Spokesperson, “The announced unauthorized march of September 22, 2020 is actually just another attempt to defy public authorities, to undermine public order, and the desperate expression of a will to exist or to survive, of a sinking political party, victim of both its contradictions and its misguidance.”

 

Sadi added that it is worth reminding all political parties that power is conferred through universal suffrage and therefore through the ballot box and not in the street.

On August 24, 2020 Kamto threatened to launch a gigantic protest if Biya convenes the Regional Election without revising the Electoral Code and resolved the ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon's two Anglophone regions. 

 

In this light, the Minister of Communications respond was straight “The President of the Republic, using his Very High Prerogatives, is better placed than anyone else to assess the timeliness and conditions for the organization of the elections in question, in order to guarantee the smooth running of the elections, all the more so as these elections are less demanding in terms of organization.”