The armed conflict in the North West Region of Cameroon has not only devastated the lives of civilians but has also targeted the very institutions that uphold truth and accountability. Journalists, the guardians of information, have been repeatedly attacked, kidnapped, and even killed for their commitment to reporting on the ongoing crisis. These assaults represent a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the protections accorded to journalists under the Geneva Conventions, marking a dangerous erosion of press freedom in a region already grappling with immense hardship.
On Sunday, May 7, 2023, the brutal killing of Anye Nde Nsoh, a journalist with The Advocate newspaper, shocked the media landscape. His murder was a stark reminder of the dangers faced by journalists in conflict zones. Similarly, on January 6, 2020, Rebecca Njeme was killed, further highlighting the vulnerability of media workers in Cameroon. These journalists, like many others, were not soldiers or combatants but individuals whose only weapon was their voice: a voice silenced by bullets and fear.
Journalists like Ambe MacMillan Awah, Fong John, Frederick Takang, and Larry Uchenna have also faced abductions, Wawa Jackson, Tim Finnian, Akumbom Elvis, Mancho Bibixy, Awah Thomas arrested are tactics designed to instill fear and obstruct the flow of information. These kidnappings, though not always resulting in death, are equally sinister, stripping communities of their right to know what is happening in their own backyards.
The media infrastructure in the region has not been spared from this wave of destruction. Community radio stations, vital platforms for local news and education, have been targeted with impunity. Stations such as Ndu Community Radio, Stone FM in Ndop, Bui Community Radio, and City Community Radio in Kumbo have been attacked and, in some cases, completely destroyed. These stations served as lifelines to the local populations, particularly in rural areas where access to reliable information is already limited.
The targeted destruction of media infrastructure is not only an attack on the press but an assault on the right of the public to be informed. It is a strategic attempt to create a vacuum where misinformation and fear thrive unchecked. The threats made against Rainbow FM in Mbengwi further illustrate the ongoing effort to silence voices that speak truth to power.
These attacks on journalists and media outlets are war crimes under international law. Journalists, as civilians, are entitled to protection in conflict zones. Their deliberate targeting by armed groups violates the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which classifies attacks on civilians and civilian objects, such as media infrastructure, as war crimes. These crimes must be condemned in the strongest terms, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
As we celebrate world press freedom day, the international community cannot afford to turn a blind eye to these atrocities. Every time a journalist is attacked, silenced, or killed, a piece of the truth dies with them. In the North West Region of Cameroon, where the truth is often a casualty of war, protecting journalists is not just a matter of justice: it is a matter of survival for the community's access to information, accountability, and ultimately, peace.
In this ongoing conflict, journalists are not merely bystanders; they are the eyes and ears of the world. To attack them is to attack the truth itself, an offense that should not go unpunished.
Let us remember the names of those who have paid the ultimate price and stand in solidarity with the many more who continue to risk their lives to bring us the truth. Now, more than ever, we must advocate for the protection of journalists and the preservation of media institutions as sources of hope in these dark times.
By Bakah Derick
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77