Amongst the 49 of 289 detainees released Friday 14th from the Bamenda central prison is Abakwa FM’s Akumbom Elvis McCarthy. The pidgin newscaster based in Bamenda, regional capital of the restive North West Region of Cameroon, was arrested on March 20th 2018. His release is part of a presidential Clemency ordered by Paul Biya, to detainees with misdemeanor cases connected with the ongoing Anglophone crisis. The 289 detainees were in about 9 detention centers across the country.
Akumbom, in his late thirties was charged for promoting the separation of the English part of the country from French Cameroon.
McCarthys’ was part of the 49 cases that appeared at the military court in Bamenda. The presiding magistrate, Colonel Nkengue, took less than ten minutes to read the decree ordering the release and declared immediately that, these men have no charge against the Cameroonian Government and people of Cameroon.
Answering to questions from the press minutes after his release, McCarthy said;
“I still insist that for for peace to come, we need inclusive dialogue. The president’s move is a good one and if it applies even to the separatist leaders, it will be a good thing”.
Another journalist practising in the region who also benefitted from the presidential largess is Moki Hanson, publisher of “Cameroon Report Newspaper”. He was arrested with about 7 of his workers and charged for same crimes.
These two media professionals join Mimi Mefou of Equinox TV in a wave of journalists recently favoured by presidential decrees in connection to the crisis. Journalists in these regions ( North west and South West), have often complained of cruel press censorsorship. More journalists are still being incarcerated in prisons across the country for exercising their duties.
According to a recent release by the international organisation, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Cameroon ranks amongst world’s worst countries in respect to imprisonment of Journalists.
Story: Mbaku Jude
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