The Speaker of the Cameroon National Assembly, Hon. Cavaye Yeguié Djibril, has stated that Cameroonians enjoy freedom of expression.
During his speech opening the final parliamentary session of the year on Monday, November 2, he declared that the liberty laws enacted in 1990 are a reality.
“I would like to remind you that since 1990, thanks to the laws on freedoms promulgated by His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, Cameroonians have been able to freely express themselves, create political parties, and enjoy all other public freedoms,” said the House Speaker.
“Thanks to these same laws, political multipartyism is practised in Cameroon. It is notably characterised by the plurality of candidates in the various elections held in the country,” he added.
According to him, the successive and diverse political configurations of the Senate, the National Assembly, the Regional Councils, and the Municipalities are a direct result of this.
“The last presidential election in Cameroon was a perfect illustration of this pluralistic and democratic process,” he stated.
Cavaye’s statement, however, is not consistent with reality.
Although Cameroon has hundreds of political parties and media outlets, the ability to express oneself freely remains difficult.
The World Press Freedom Index ranks Cameroon 131st out of 180 countries, indicating a severe lack of press freedom. The statistics show that Cameroon’s score on the index has continued to decline yearly.
In 2023, the Paradigm Initiative ranked Cameroon among the bottom 15 countries for digital rights, citing a very poor environment.
No Freedom After Speech
Currently, Cameroon is considered the second-worst jailer of journalists in Africa. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, five journalists are currently detained in Cameroon. Others have been killed, including Samuel Wazizi and Martinez Zogo.
While the House Speaker may believe the information he has been given, the situation on the ground is starkly different.