Journalist reported dead in custody

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yesterday called for a thorough and independent investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of Cameroonian journalist Samuel Wazizi, while he was in military detention. Citing 'military sources', the privately-owned Equinoxe television channel has reported that the presenter, based in Buea, the capital of the English-speaking South-West Region, died during his transfer to Yaoundé after his arrest in August 2019. His death has also been confirmed by the Cameroonian National Journalists’ Union. RSF said the Chillen Media television presenter was held at Muea police station in Buea for the first five days after his arrest on 2 August 2019. Neither his family nor his lawyers were allowed any contact with him or were given any information about him after soldiers removed him from the police station. Wazizi was accused of criticising the authorities and their handling of the crisis in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, where clashes between soldiers and separatists calling for independence or more autonomy have left more than 3 200 dead and displaced thousands more. Arnaud Froger, head of RSF’s Africa desk, said 'the murky circumstances surrounding this case must be clarified'. 'We call on the Cameroonian authorities to end the intolerable silence around this case, to return the journalist’s body to his family, and to conduct a thorough, independent investigation to establish the chain of responsibility and circumstances leading to this tragedy,' he added.

RSF statement

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has also called for the Cameroonian authorities to address the matter. 'We demand that authorities immediately and publicly account for his status,' said CPJ Africa Programme Co-ordinator Angela Quintal. CPJ said it called and texted representatives of Cameroon’s Justice Ministry, Communications Ministry, and the Prime Minister’s office for comment, but did not receive any replies.

CPJ statement