Biya, Jailer and Killer Of Journalists Pledges Press Freedom

When President Paul Biya, 92, unveiled his 2025 “manifesto” through CPDM party flyers, one pledge stood out as the height of irony: “I shall strengthen measures to protect freedom of expression and journalists.” For Cameroonians and the international press community, this is more than a hollow promise, it is an insult. After four decades of authoritarian rule marked by censorship, imprisonment, torture, and the killing of journalists, Biya’s vow rings dangerously false.

One of Africa’s Worst Jailers of Journalists

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Cameroon continues to rank among the harshest environments for media workers. As of December 2024, at least five journalists remain behind bars. Among them are Mancho Bibixy, Tsi Conrad, and Thomas Awah, all convicted by a military tribunal in 2018 on terrorism and secession charges. Their trials exposed the government’s strategy of weaponizing anti-terror laws to silence dissenting voices.

The case of Amadou Vamoulké, former CRTV Director-General, epitomizes the regime’s cruelty. After enduring more than 178 adjournments, he was sentenced to 32 years in prison in two separate trials widely condemned by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as politically motivated and devoid of fairness. His ordeal has made him an international symbol of Cameroon’s warped justice system.

Murder and Impunity: The Fate of Wazizi and Zogo

Journalists in Cameroon do not only face prison; they face death. Samuel Wazizi died in military custody, his body hidden for months from his family and the public. Martinez Zogo, brutally murdered in 2023, became a chilling reminder of what it means to challenge Biya’s regime. RSF concluded his assassination was essentially a state crime. Yet, in both cases, no senior official has been held accountable. The culture of impunity speaks louder than any campaign slogan.

Cameroon’s Press Freedom Ranking: Rock Bottom

In the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, Cameroon plummeted to 138th out of 180 countries, a drop of 20 places in a single year. This ranking makes Cameroon last in Central Africa. The contrast with the region is striking. Nigeria, despite its own harassment of reporters, ranks 123rd. Chad, still in military transition, is placed at 113th. Gabon, fresh out of a coup, stands at 94th. Ghana, a regional comparator, is far ahead at 62nd, praised for pluralism and legal protections. For Africa’s longest-ruling president, who has clung to power for 43 years, such a collapse in press freedom underscores the emptiness of his promises.

State Censorship and Bias

Biya’s government does not only jail journalists; it manipulates the entire information ecosystem. Political debates have been banned until after the elections, leaving the state broadcaster CRTV to flood the airwaves with pro-CPDM propaganda. The Minister of Territorial Administration has openly threatened opposition parties while instructing local administrators to keep journalists under surveillance. The press card commission has collapsed into dysfunction, with many reporters left without accreditation because the state itself has failed to issue cards. This bureaucratic vacuum serves as yet another tool of intimidation. Meanwhile, public media thrives on subsidies, while independent outlets critical of the regime face harassment, suspensions, and outright closures.

Exile and No Freedom of Information

Dozens of Cameroonian journalists have fled into exile, escaping intimidation and politically motivated prosecutions. Those who remain face a suffocating legal vacuum. In 43 years of Biya’s rule, Cameroon has failed to enact a Freedom of Information Act. This omission leaves access to public data entirely at the mercy of state goodwill. The contrast with other African nations is telling. Nigeria passed its Freedom of Information Act in 2011. Ghana followed with its Right to Information law, which took effect in 2020. Cameroon, under Biya, clings to opacity.

Empty Promises and Unpunished Crimes

The unsolved murder of Anye Nde Nso in Bamenda, like those of Wazizi and Zogo, shows that justice for journalists in Cameroon is an illusion. Families of the victims continue to live with unanswered questions and state indifference. Biya’s 2025 promise is neither new nor credible. Similar pledges have been recycled in past speeches and manifestos, yet repression only deepens.

A Manifesto of Hypocrisy

President Paul Biya’s pledge to “protect freedom of expression and journalists” is not a vision for the future. It is a grotesque rewriting of reality. Under his leadership, Cameroon has become one of the most dangerous places in Africa to be a journalist. Far from offering protection, Biya’s regime has mastered the art of silencing dissent through prison walls, censorship, and bloodshed. His so-called manifesto is nothing more than a propaganda tool: empty, misleading, and insulting to the victims who can no longer speak.

MMI News