Cameroon: Journalists Detained, Released in Minister's Glasses Case

Dakar — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Cameroonian authorities to hold to account those behind the detention of four journalists suspected of stealing a minister's glasses, in a scandal that has led to calls for a boycott of the minister's events. The journalists were released on Monday without charge. Solange Djuikam spent seven nights in cells, while François Essomba, Igor Gwet Bibey, and Pierre Mouchili were held for five nights. "François Essomba, Igor Gwet Bibey, Solange Djuikam, and Pierre Mouchili's experience of arbitrary detention highlights the terrifying reality of being a journalist in Cameroon, where an ordinary day of reporting can turn into a nightmare," said Moussa Ngom, CPJ's Francophone Africa representative. "Cameroonian authorities should establish who is responsible for this inexcusable abuse of media professionals, hold them accountable, and ensure that journalists' rights and dignity are protected while carrying out their work." On September 14, Univers Info Net's publishing director Djuikam was arrested by two women who identified themselves as police officers and accused her of stealing economy minister Alamine Ousmane Mey's glasses at the start of a three-day Islamic Development Bank conference in the capital Yaoundé, the journalist told CPJ. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines On September 16, ChinAfrica newspaper's correspondent Essomba, Inform Plus newspaper's publishing director Bibey, and Le Procès International newspaper's publishing director Mouchili were also arrested on suspicion of stealing the glasses at the conference center. The glasses were found in Mey's car later that day, local media quoted the ministry's communications unit as saying and Thierry Eba, president of the National Trade Union of Information and Communication Professionals (SPIC), told CPJ. SPIC officials accompanied the four journalists to a meeting with the government spokesperson René Emmanuel Sadi on September 23. Sadi described it to CPJ as an "unfortunate incident resulting from some security forces officers' excessive zeal," but told CPJ that Mey did not order the arrests and he would clarify what had happened with the police and take appropriate action. Djuikam told CPJ that one arresting officer said "she would pay" for having stolen the glasses and accused her of not being a journalist. Djuikam said she was taken by motorcycle to a local police station and transferred to Yaoundé Central Police Station, without being allowed to contact her family. She said she was brought to court on September 18 but the prosecutor returned her to police custody, requesting further investigations. Mouchili told Canal 2 that a police investigator accused him of going to the conference "to squeeze money out of the minister." The four journalists told local media that they were held in overcrowded police cells, with no water, clogged toilets, and fleas. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "They did nothing wrong; they will not be prosecuted," Sadi said, in response to CPJ's concern that the journalists were told to remain available in case of further questioning. On Tuesday, SPIC announced a boycott of coverage of Mey's events and condemned the "arbitrary arrest and detention of media professionals in the course of their work based on mere suspicion." CPJ sent a letter seeking comment to national police chief Martin Mbarga Nguélé at the request of a member of his staff who had answered an earlier call to Nguélé's phone number. CPJ had not received a response at the time of publication. Read the original article on CPJ . AllAfrica publishes around