Two Cameroonian journalists were assaulted while reporting on a businessman recently commended by President Paul Biya, raising fresh concerns over press freedom in the country.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Cameroonian authorities to investigate the February 13 attack on Equinoxe TV’s Joseph Abena Abena and Augustin Ndongo in the South Region and to hold the perpetrators accountable.
“The attack on Joseph Abena Abena and Augustin Ndongo is yet another expression of the sense of impunity for those who intimidate and threaten journalists in Cameroon,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative. “Authorities must ensure justice is served and guarantee a safe environment for journalists.”
Targeted for Investigating a Businessman with Political Ties
Abena, a regional correspondent for Equinoxe TV, and Ndongo, a cameraman, were investigating an agricultural facility owned by Samuel Tony Obam Bikoué. Just days before, President Biya had praised Bikoué for contributing to the country’s agricultural sector, but the businessman’s role in the banana industry has faced criticism from local officials.
Upon entering the facility, the journalists were confronted by assailants, some wielding clubs, who accused them of trying to harm Bikoué’s business. According to Abena, the attackers seized Ndongo’s camera, confiscated their phones, and forced them to sit on the ground while making death threats.
“One of them recognized me and said they were going to kill us,” Abena told CPJ.
The ordeal ended after a local official intervened, but not before the attackers damaged Abena’s computer and took the memory card from Ndongo’s broken camera.
Growing Concerns Over Press Safety in Cameroon
CPJ attempted to reach both Bikoué and Denis Omgba Bomba, the media observatory director at Cameroon’s Ministry of Communication, but received no response.
The attack adds to a growing list of threats and assaults on journalists in Cameroon, particularly as the country heads toward elections later this year. Press freedom organizations continue to call for urgent measures to protect journalists and hold aggressors accountable.
