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CPDM Crime Syndicate: 42 terrible years for the press, 10 major obstacles to journalism

9, October 2025

CPDM Crime Syndicate: 42 terrible years for the press, 10 major obstacles to journalism 0

As the presidential election set for 12 October approaches and the possibility of re-election for nonagenarian President Paul Biya is high, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is publishing its alarming assessment of the press freedom situation in Cameroon, outlining the major obstacles to journalism in ten key points.

“Five journalists killed, one arbitrarily detained for nine years and sentenced to 32 years in prison, a national media regulator subservient to the government, press offences still punishable by throwing journalists behind bars… The 42 years in power of President Paul Biya – who is 92 and running for an eighth term – have been dark for the press. RSF looks at ten major attacks on journalism during his time in office that illustrate the gravity of the press freedom situation in the country – one of the most dangerous in Africa for the profession – and the magnitude of the task awaiting the next president. We call on the future president to make press freedom a priority issue, giving Cameroonians real access to their right to information.

1. Murder of Martinez Zogo (2023)

The Amplitude FM host was kidnapped, tortured and murdered, his mutilated body found on 22 January 2023 on the outskirts of Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital, five days after his abduction. After revealing that several members of the Cameroonian intelligence services were involved in this heinous crime, RSF exposed the gruesome details of this state affair. Two-and-a-half years after the opening of the trial against secret services members and a businessman close to the government, the substantive hearings finally began on 2 September 2025. To reconstruct the circumstances of the murder, the Yaoundé military court must now hear all 44 prosecution witnesses. The next hearings are scheduled for 13 and 14 October.

2. Samuel Wazizi’s death in custody (2019)

Arrested on 2 August 2019, in Buea, capital of the English-speaking Southwest Region of Cameroon, Chillen Music Television (CMTV) journalist Samuel Wazizi died a few days later under unclear circumstances. The journalist was arrested after he criticised the management of Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis. Photos taken in Yaoundé on 13 August 2019 show he had numerous injuries, giving valid reason to believe he had been tortured. His death was concealed for nearly ten months by the authorities, “as a result of severe sepsis,”  they claimed. No investigation report has been made public into the circumstances of his death. His case sadly illustrates the opacity of the procedures and the absence of independent justice.

3. Amadou Vamoulké case (since 2016)

The former director of Cameroon’s national radio and TV broadcaster, CRTV, Amadou Vamoulké, has been arbitrarily detained for nine years. He was sentenced in 2024 to 20 years in prison after 178 successive postponements – a world record – and to 12 years in prison in December 2022 — a total of 32 years. Both cases were based on wrongful accusations that lack tangible evidence of “embezzlement of public funds” for the benefit of the media outlet he ran for 11 years. His first conviction came after nearly seven years of pretrial detention, even though the law only provides for a maximum of 12 months, renewable once, for such crimes. The 75-year-old journalist, recognised for his integrity by his peers, suffers from at least six medical conditions requiring advanced care. As far back as 2020, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared itself “deeply concerned” by the “gravity of the journalist’s condition.”

4. Presidential censorship

Any media discussion on President Biya’s health is prohibited in the name of “national security.” A ministerial circular dated 9 October 2024 ordered each regional governor to establish “monitoring units responsible for monitoring and recording all broadcasts and debates in private media and identifying the authors of biased comments”. At the same time, the presidency issued a reassuring statement on the health of Paul Biya, the world’s oldest elected leader, who had not made any public appearances since the beginning of September 2024.

 5. A punitive media regulatory body under orders

The National Communication Council (NCC) is issuing a series of suspensions and warnings. The latest example dates back to 23 July, when the satirical newspaper Le Popoli and its editor, Paul Louis Nyemb Ntoogue, were banned from circulation and operation for six months after publishing a caricature depicting a minister. The NCC’s lack of independence is an open secret: its nine members are appointed by decree of the President of the Republic.

6. Harsh laws used against the press

Press offences are criminal in nature and punishable by prison sentences. But beyond this major problem, in recent years, various laws have been widely circumvented to explicitly repress journalism. The 2014 anti-terrorism law has been repeatedly used to prosecute journalists critical of authorities before military courts: in 2017, the Yaoundé military court sentenced Radio France Internationale (RFI) correspondent Ahmed Abba to ten years in prison and a heavy fine after his coverage of attacks by the terrorist group Boko Haram; in 2018, Thomas Awah Junior, the northwest correspondent for the private radio station Afrik 2 Radio, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on multiple charges; and in September 2024, independent journalist Kingsley Fumunyuy Njoka was sentenced to ten years in prison for “secession and complicity with armed gangs” due to publications dating from 2020 that took a critical stance on the “Anglophone crisis” in the northwest of the country.

7. Impunity in northern Cameroon

Journalist Anye Nde Nsoh was shot dead in Bamenda, a northwestern city, in May 2023. He was only 26 years old. His murder reveals the extent to which journalists in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions operate in a state of complete insecurity, caught between armed separatist groups and the Cameroonian armed forces. As in many other cases, the investigation remains at a standstill, fueling a climate of fear in a region where the press is increasingly absent. Kidnapping is also among the risks facing the region’s journalists.

8. Open conflict between the authorities and Equinoxe TV

Founded in 2006, Equinoxe TV is one of the most popular private channels in Cameroon — and most critical of the authorities. This positioning has brought the media various problems, including the suspension of its director and one of its flagship programs on several occasions and accusations and threats against the channel by members of the government. This harassment is part of a context of widespread media repression in the country.

9. Increased pressure ahead of the 2025 presidential election

Ahead of the election scheduled for 12 October, the authorities have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to hinder journalists’ work. The NCC has asked media outlets to suspend political debate programs as of 27 September, replacing them with campaign news programs. Media professionals are subject to a dual accreditation process and are required to present a press card, even though these are almost never issued. Journalists have been repeatedly prevented from covering public events, particularly those organised by the opposition.

10. Serious drop in the World Press Freedom Index

Cameroon ranks 131st out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index. Ranked 83rd in 2005, the country has fallen 48 places in twenty years. For the past ten years, Cameroon has stagnated around 130th place, reflecting both the authorities’ lack of effort to improve the situation and the hostile climate encountered by media professionals. Cameroon continues to be one of the most dangerous countries on the continent for the practice of journalism.

Dolly Parton posts ‘I ain’t dead yet’ after sister sparks health concerns

8, October 2025

Dolly Parton posts ‘I ain’t dead yet’ after sister sparks health concerns 0

Dolly Parton has released a video, telling fans “I’m not dying”, a day after her sister asked for the public to pray for her, sparking concerns about the US country star’s health.

“I know lately everybody thinks that I’m sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard,” the musician said in a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday, which she filmed while shooting commercials for the Grand Ole Opry music venue in Nashville.

The video came after her sister apologised for scaring fans in her initial Facebook post about Parton’s health.

Parton, 79, was recently forced to pull out of a Dollywood event after being diagnosed with a kidney stone.

In her video, Parton thanked fans for their prayers, and explained that “I didn’t take care of myself” after her husband died earlier this year.

“So I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of,” she said. “So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctors said ‘we need to take care of this’ and ‘we need to take care of that’. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things.”

Parton also laughed about an AI photo she had seen, which shows fellow country star Reba McEntire at her death bed.

“We both looked like we need to be buried,” she laughed.

“There’s a lol of rumours flying around, and I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I’m ok,” she said.

She ended by assuring fans: “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working.”

It comes after her sister Freida Parton posted that she “hasn’t been feeling her best” and asked fans for their prayers.

But in a second post on Facebook, she clarified: “I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly.

“She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister.”

In the previous post, her sister said she had been “up all night praying for my sister”, who, she said, “hasn’t been feeling her best lately”.

Freida Parton did, however, ended her message on an upbeat note.

“She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine,” she wrote. “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”

Parton had been scheduled to perform six shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in December.

But she postponed the gigs until September next year, telling fans she needs “a few procedures” to deal with ongoing “health challenges”.

Kidney stones are a common ailment, with more than 1 in 10 people affected according to the NHS. Larger kidney stones can cause considerable pain, and can lead to infections and other issues if not treated.

Earlier this year, Parton lost her husband Carl Dean after nearly 60 years of marriage.

She later dedicated a new song, If You Hadn’t Been There, to his memory.

The musician is best known for a string of country crossover hits including Coat of Many Colors, I Will Always Love You, 9 To 5 and Jolene.

Her Las Vegas stint would have been her first visit to the Strip since the 1990s, when she performed alongside her Islands in the Stream duet partner, Kenny Rogers.

Source: BBC

Race for Etoudi: Biya stages first appearance

8, October 2025

Race for Etoudi: Biya stages first appearance 0

President Paul Biya on Monday made his first major appearance of the election campaign in his run for an eighth straight term as the world’s oldest head of state.

With five days to go before the vote, Biya — aged 92, and in power since 1982 — addressed supporters at a stadium in Maroua, in the Far North region. It was his first public appearance since May of this year.

“My determination to serve you remains intact,” he told the crowd of several hundred supporters from the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement. “I ask you once again for your precious support.”

His 25-minute speech focused on youth, women and infrastructure.

“My goal is for every young person, wherever they are, to easily find a job or start a business. No young person, whether they are a graduate or not, will be left behind,” he said.

Organizers said nearly 25,000 people were expected at the rally, but only a few hundred showed up, AFP correspondents present estimated.

Maroua, a city bordering Nigeria and Chad, is a key electoral battleground with 1.22 million registered voters, but regularly affected by attacks from the jihadist group Boko Haram.

Maurice Kamto, an opposition figure whose candidacy was rejected in August, has called on voters “to vote freely” after the failure of discussions for a unified opposition candidacy.

Source: AFP

October Presidential Election: Can a political miracle ever happen in Cameroon?

8, October 2025

October Presidential Election: Can a political miracle ever happen in Cameroon? 0

Presidential election campaigns are underway in Cameroon and from every indication the results of the elections are a foregone conclusion.

Elections in Cameroon have never been free and fair and this year’s election will certainly not be an exception. There is a lot of excitement in Cameroon about the possibility of change coming to Cameroon. Have regime hawks become saints or have Cameroonians forgotten the past and has ELECAM, the country’s election body and the constitutional council changed their ways?

Cameroon is a country wherein there are no political miracles and the same personalities who robbed John Fru Ndi, the premier SDF chairman of blessed memory whose party beat Cameroon’s ruling party, the CPDM in 1992 in an election whose results could have transformed Cameroon’s political landscape in 1992 if John Fru Ndi had been given a chance.

The same political actors are still in place in the country. In 1992, they were younger, leaner and hungrier. After thirty three years in power, many of them are older, bigger and even nastier and are even determined to mess up the country before quitting the scene. To them, the messier, the merrier!

The incumbent, President Paul Biya is very likely to win the election. He is a player, a referee and a match delay in a game in which he has no intention of losing. His desire to stay in power is even stronger than it was in 1992 and from every indication he is in no rush to leave this planet. Those who think Mr. Biya will leave power simply do not know the man’s mindset. Some people even think he should be tired of power but real political analyst with insight knowledge of the political game know that power only tires those who do not have it. Biya has been a steady fixture on Cameroon’s political landscape for forty-three years and he is determined to make it fifty as he believes that his ancestors will be proud of him.

Mr. Biya and his men have their game plan which is unfortunately unorthodox and they are counting on the fact that the CPDM is the only party with a national presence. The CPDM is not a popular party but the fact that it is in every nook and cranny of the country gives it a massive advantage in this election which is considered by observers as a two-race horse.

Mr. Biya and his men have already rigged the election to their advantage. By controlling ELECAM and the constitutional council, the ruling party has put the odds to its side.

The rigging does not start and end with controlling the election bodies. Disqualifying candidates with the potential to threaten the senile Biya was part of the game plan. Prof. Maurice Kamto, the main opposition leader who many thought could topple Biya in the election was surgically removed from the election by a constitutional council led by a Biya protégé. Atanga Nji Paul, the country’s territorial administration minister, a man noted for his ruthlessness and uncouth behavior, was responsible for kicking Prof. Kamto out and since poverty hardly breeds virtue, Atanga Nji found a hungry and desperate person in Manidem, the political party which endorsed Kamto’s candidacy, to challenge Prof. Kamto’s candidacy and this trick worked like a charm leaving Kamto with a bloodshot eye and his supporters with broken hearts.

With Kamto out of the way, the ruling party felt the election would be a walk in the park. Little did the ruling party know that there could be another dark horse in the race and the dark horse which has turned out to be Issa Tchiroma, a man who has held many ministerial portfolios in the Biya government. Issa Tchiroma, the northerner who had been imprisoned by Mr. Biya after the April 6, 1984 coup d’etat in Cameroon has triggered a wave of insomnia among CPDM supporters.

Currently, Cameroon has run out of sleeping pills as Issa Tchiroma is rally Cameroonians. His program includes a three-year transition which will engineer a new constitution and a total revamping of the malicious system Mr. Biya has set up in his own interest.

Yaoundé has been caught up in whirlwind of fear as Issa Tchiroma knits effective alliances. Tchiroma is even prepared to sign a pact with the devil. He has already reached out to secessionists in the country’s two English-speaking regions and his visits to Bamenda and Buea over the last week have put the government in a talespin.

Tchiroma is apologizing to the country’s English-speaking citizens for all the humiliating and mendacious statements he made at the peak of the crisis when he was Biya’s communication minister. Tchiroma is even prepared to ally with the dead. He understands that a snake which does not cast its skin will not live long. His objective is to win power and pull Cameroon from the brink although many Biya supporters see him as a man full of vengeance. They suspect that if power falls into Tchiroma’s hands, he might take his pound of flesh and he will surely look for that which is closest to the heart.

The Biya regime has exhausted all its tricks. The public is aware what Mr. Biya and his ruling are capable of. Their tricks know no bounds and since the ruling party controls the country’s national assembly, it used the parliament to delay council and parliamentary elections to ensure Prof. Kamto’s party, MRC, which did not any parliamentarians and councilors did not qualify as a presidential candidate.

Despite all these tricks, the truth is that the Biya regime is on its last leg. Its free fall has commenced and its life span is maximum two years. All the numerous political maneuvers, including the SDF senator joining Atanga Nji in a CPDM campaign in Up-Station, Bamenda, are all vain attempts to postpone the CPDM’s agony.

Akere Muna and Joshua Osih, well known French Cameroon surrogates who have a track record of obstructing the Southern Cameroons cause have been told to take part in the October 12 election to give legitimacy and a semblance of Southern Cameroons’ participation. This is also failing and will certainly give the government and the elections a very bad name.

Thousands of eligible voters were reluctant to register, citing fears of election rigging or retribution from soldiers loyal to the regime in Yaoundé.

ELECAM has excluded candidates without providing clear reasons. The process for candidate vetting is shameful, disgusting and disgraceful.

The constitutional council is a Beti/Bulu tribal institution seen by critics as insufficiently independent and only makes decisions that favour the 92-year-old Biya.

There are concerns that elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) often used to suppress dissent, protests, or opposition activities are no longer willing to play the nasty role they have been playing.

The deployment of gendarmerie officers to protect ELECAM officials and prominent judges of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council has already taken place, signaling the Council’s readiness to declare Biya the winner.

Millions in French speaking Cameroon now see the outcome as a foregone conclusion, voter apathy in Southern Cameroons is very high, which tends to favour President Biya now known as the picture candidate.

Mr. Biya’s use of state resources to shape public perception, limit opposition campaigns, and control the flow of information has pushed Cameroonians to the brink.

Interfering in vote counting during this October election and using the Constitutional Council to declare Biya as the winner might be a grievous mistake that might trigger the end of a regime which has overstayed its welcome.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-In-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

“AFCON will go ahead in Morocco despite anti-government protests”

7, October 2025

“AFCON will go ahead in Morocco despite anti-government protests” 0

African football boss Patrice Motsepe said on Monday he is “absolutely confident” the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead in Morocco, the scene of daily anti-government protests for more than a week.

Young Moroccans took to the streets on Sunday for a ninth straight night of protests, calling for an end to corruption and a change of government.

The protesters have demanded reforms to social services, especially health and education, and voiced anger over social inequality.

Morocco is scheduled to stage the Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December 21 to January 18 at nine venues, with 24 national teams competing in the premier African football competition.

Stars like Egypt and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah and Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi are among the players set to participate.

Speaking during an annual gathering of African football bosses in Kinshasa, Confederation of African Football president Motsepe said: “We (CAF) are absolutely confident the AFCON will go ahead as planned.

“Morocco is plan A, Morocco is plan B and Morocco is plan C,” he told his audience, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“CAF will co-operate and work with the government and all the citizens of Morocco to host the most successful AFCON in history,” said Motsepe, a South African billionaire businessman.

Morocco hosted the 1988 AFCON – then an eight-nation tournament – and withdrew as hosts of the 2015 version citing Ebola virus fears.

Source: AFP

Barcelona interested in signing Cameroonian striker Karl Etta Eyong

6, October 2025

Barcelona interested in signing Cameroonian striker Karl Etta Eyong 0

Barcelona remain keen on securing the signature of striker Karl Etta Eyong.

According to Diario Sport, the Catalans already attempted to sign the striker last summer when he was playing for Villarreal, but financial constraints prevented the deal from going through.

The 22-year-old Cameroonian forward has a release clause set at €30 million. Barcelona’s management continues to monitor his performances and could reignite negotiations in one of the upcoming transfer windows.

The Cameroonian striker has started this season in sensational form: in five matches for Levante, he has already netted four goals and provided one assist.

Source: Daily Sports

Issa Tchiroma draws massive crowd in Douala ahead of election

6, October 2025

Issa Tchiroma draws massive crowd in Douala ahead of election 0

Tens of thousands of people gathered behind the esplanade of the Omnisports stadium in Douala on Sunday to listen to presidential candidate and former minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary. 

Despite eight hours of waiting and rain in Cameroon’s economic capital, supporters were not discouraged as they promised to cast their vote for the candidate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front.

“He is so beloved by the Cameroonian people, and I don’t think we’ve ever seen a crowd like the one today,” said supporter Mohamadou Hadji.

“This is a great testament to the Cameroonian people’s support for Issa Tchiroma Bakary, to whom we promise a 100% victory on 12 October,” he added.

Issa Tchiroma arrived in Douala like a rockstar, surrounded by a sea of people.

He came from rallies in the English-speaking cities of Buea and Limbé and addressed the crowd that had been waiting for him along the way.

Issa Tchiroma also directly appealed to incumbent president Paul Biya, urging him to acknowledge his defeat on the evening of the upcoming election.

“You will call your opponent, who was chosen by the people, to say, ‘Mr. President, I concede defeat. Congratulations, and today you will go down in history!’,” Tchiroma told the crowd.

For the audience, the rally was a historic effort that will need to be confirmed in the ballot box.

“All we want is for us to all vote for the same person[and] to monitor our votes and check our ballots, so that on the evening of 12 October, we can proclaim our own victory, and that President Tchiroma becomes President of Cameroon”, said supporter Taddoum Moïse.

The candidate also took the opportunity to denounce the threats he has received from the current administration.

He went on to warn the territorial administration, the electoral commission, and the Constitutional Council that the people will demand his victory by any means necessary in case of fraud on the night of the election.

Source: Africa News

Yaoundé: US embassy issues October 12 Presidential Elections security alert

5, October 2025

Yaoundé: US embassy issues October 12 Presidential Elections security alert 0

Cameroon will hold presidential elections on Sunday, October 12, 2025.  While the U.S. Mission in Cameroon assesses the likelihood of violence or significant negative impact on U.S. government personnel to be low, there is always the potential for large gatherings.  Cameroonian law enforcement is expected to maintain an increased presence during the elections and roadblocks may be in place.  Most businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores, are likely to be closed.  It is also possible the Government of Cameroon will close borders and restrict flights, which could result in delays or cancellations.

The U.S. Mission in Cameroon reminds U.S. citizens to remain vigilant and encourages everyone to take steps to enhance their personal   safety and security.

Actions to Take:

  • Always carry official identification.
  • Avoid large crowds or gatherings.
  • Always cooperate with authorities. This is a busy period for law enforcement, and you can help them keep you safe by being polite and following lawful instructions.
  • Always carry a charged cell phone and ensure that emergency numbers are programmed into all your mobile devices.
  • Since stores and markets will be closed on Sunday, October 12, consider completing any shopping or other errands in advance. Be aware that stores may be crowded.

Assistance:

U.S Embassy Yaoundé
Republic of Cameroon
6.050 Rosa Parks Avenue
P.O.Box 817

Germany: Cameroonian Nurses Association Launching Event

4, October 2025

Germany: Cameroonian Nurses Association Launching Event 0

The Cameroonian Nurses Association – Germany (CNAG) was officially launched in a well-attended event that brought together nurses, community leaders, and stakeholders. The atmosphere was marked by enthusiasm, unity, and a shared vision for improved healthcare within the community.

Community representatives expressed their admiration for the organization and commended the relevance of the themes discussed. Topics such as high blood pressure, nutrition, diabetes management, and preventive health measures were highlighted, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical guidance for healthier living. Several attendees noted that the seminar was an eye-opener and a meaningful source of health awareness.

Community elders offered their words of encouragement, urging the association to remain focused on its mission, while assuring CNAG of their full support.

In her closing remarks, the coordinator of CNAG, Mrs. Sally Ojong, expressed profound gratitude to all attendees. She reaffirmed her commitment, alongside the CNAG team, to making the association’s vision a reality and to fostering sustainable health improvements for the Cameroonian community in Germany and beyond.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files

Lions: Brys names squad for World Cup qualifiers against Mauritius, Angola

3, October 2025

Lions: Brys names squad for World Cup qualifiers against Mauritius, Angola 0

Cameroon’s men’s football team coach Marc Brys unveiled a 26-player roster on Friday for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers against Mauritius and Angola.

The squad includes established players such as Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Andre Onana, Bryan Mbeumo, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar.

Key defender Christopher Wooh is absent from the squad, which also features two newcomers, Levante striker Karl Etta Eyong and Norwegian club Valerenga midfielder Fidel Brice Ambina.

Cameroon will visit Mauritius next Wednesday and host Angola five days after.

Cape Verde leads Group D with 19 points while Cameroon sits second four points adrift, with third-placed Libya one point further back.

Source: Xinhuanet

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