Cameroon

(RSF/IFEX) – President Paul Biya of Cameroon, on a private visit to France, met with his French counterpart on 5 May 1998. To mark this occasion, on 4 May, RSF delivered a letter to French President Jacques Chirac, in which the organization asked him to intervene with President Biya in order to obtain the release […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a press release issued by RSF on 22 April 1998, the organization announced that it had delivered that day a letter to the Prime Minister of Cameroon, Peter Musonge Mafany, asking for the release of jailed journalist Pius Njawe. On 22 April 1998, the Prime Minister had been invited to an information […]

(IPI/IFEX) – On the morning of 14 April 1998, Douala Court of Appeals Judge Minko issued his decision in the appeal of Pius Njawe’s conviction for publishing a story concerning the health of President Paul Biya. Njawe was appealing against his two year prison sentence and 500,000 Central African Francs (CFA) fine. The text of […]

(WPFC/IFEX) – The following is the full text of a special report issued by WPFC on 18 February 1998. **Updates IFEX alerts dated 14 January 1998, 13 January 1998 and 24 December 1997** Letter from an African jail A leading African editor, Pius Njawe of “Le Messager” in Cameroon, was unable to attend a 16 […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to RSF, on 16 January 1998, Samuel Eleme, publication director of the magazine “La Detente”, was convicted of “defamation” and sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 10,000FF. This conviction follows from a series of articles published in October 1997 accusing John Mandengue Epee, director of a Cameroonian insurance […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF reports that the independent newspaper “Aurore Plus” has been suspended for six months. This action was in conjunction with the sentencing on 13 January of its editor, Michel Michaut Moussala, to six months in prison and a fine of 10,000 FF. (See IFEX alert.) The conviction followed a complaint lodged by Jean […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 13 January 1998, Pius Njawe, editor in chief of the weekly “Le Messager”, was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 500,000 CFA francs (5,000FF) for spreading false information. Arrested on 24 December, Njawe had been convicted for an article titled “Is President Biya sick?” which appeared in the 22 December […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to RSF’s information, the privately-owned newspaper “La Plume du Jour” has been under a ban for the past four months. On 11 September 1997, the day’s edition was seized; the next day, the paper was banned indefinitely. No official reason was given for the action. The 11 September issue of “La Plume […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 24 December 1997, Pius Njawe, editor-in-chief of “Le Messager”, was arrested at the newspaper’s offices by men in civilian clothing and taken to judicial police headquarters in Douala. No official explanation was given for Njawe’s arrest. According to his colleagues, the action is thought to be linked to an article that appeared […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Marie Noelle Nguichi, a journalist with the bi- weekly “Le Messager”, was arrested on 12 October 1997 – the day of the presidential elections – by a police officer in a barrack in Yaounde, where a voting booth had been set up. The officer accused Nguichi of being “a spy for `Le Messager’” […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Journalist Joseph Nyada Mani, director of publication for the privately-owned newspaper “Le Proces”, remains imprisoned. On 27 May 1997, he was arrested in Yaounde and placed in detention in the Nkodengui central prison. Mani was convicted of defamation and sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay 500 000 CFA francs […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On the evening of 30 April 1997, Bosco Tchoubet, director of publication of the privately-owned newspaper “La Revelation”, was arrested in Yaounde. The journalist was then detained at the Central Office of Judicial Investigations of the Secretary of State for Defence (“la Direction centrale de recherche judiciaire du secretariat d’Etat a la Defense”) […]

Pius Njawe, editor-in-chief of “Le Messager Popoli”, was released from jail on his own recognizance on 18 October 1996. However, he is still under threat of imprisonment pending his appeal of the charges. **Updates IFEX alerts dated 18 and 7 October 1996** Njawe was ordered to appear in court on 21 October but says he […]

On 3 October 1996, the Littoral Appeals Court in Douala sentenced “Le Messager Popoli” journalists Pius Njawe and Eyoum Ngangue to six months’ imprisonment and a 100,000 CFA (US$ 200) fine, and one year in prison and a 300,000 CFA (US$ 600) fine, respectively, invalidating a 27 February 1996 verdict from the Douala Court of […]

Paddy Mbawa, director of the independent newspaper “Cameroon Post”, was released from prison during the last week in August 1996 after serving eleven months. He had been sentenced after being found guilty of fourteen different libel offences against the government. Despite his release from prison, Mbawa faces seven additional libel suits. The date for his […]

On 20 August 1996, Vianney Ombe Ndzana, director of the privately-owned newspaper “Generation”, was assaulted in the capital, Yaounde, by several armed individuals. Ndzana was leaving the editorial offices of the newspaper when the individuals accosted him before opening fire on his vehicle. He was later taken to hospital, where he is in stable condition. […]