Government opens up on Kondengui uprising

The government of Cameroon has said 77 inmates of the Kondengui Maximum prison have been taken to police and gendarmerie units in Yaounde for questioning.

This follows the protest organised at the prison July 22 which resulted in a fire disaster within the detention facility.

In a release dated July 23, 2019, the Minister of Communication said a group of detainees of the Anglophone crisis were authorised to organise a meeting to discuss the prevailing situation in the restive North West and South West Regions, “but the move later became violent”.

Rene Emmanuel Sadi said the protesters whose identities are known attacked prison cells, destroyed structures the female tailoring workshop, the office of the superintendent and the prison library.

The government described the act as inadmissible, and praised what it described as professionalism of security forces who succeeded to restore order.

According to Rene Emmanuel Sadi, no human life was lost, no detainee was injured and no live bullets were used.

But civil society actors who were on the scene have said live bullets were used and that two former government ministers were injured and taken to hospital.

David Eboutou told DW today that soldiers surrounded Kondengui and were shooting heavily to prevent any eventuality.

Mimi Mefo Info

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