afrol News, 15 July - The media watchdog, Committee to Protect Journalists, has denounced the recent spates of threats and harassment carried out by government on journalists.

The organisation has reported that Jean Bosco Talla, publication director for the newspaper "Germinal", a privately-owned weekly based in the capital city, Yaoundé, has received a series of death threats following the publication of a corruption story by a French NGO, CCFD-Terre Solidaire on President Paul Biya’s fortune.

Mr Talla has reportedly received death threats and was being harassed by two individuals in civilian clothes whom were lurking near his home, asking about his address.

“The following day, at about 2:00 am, the journalist received a threatening phone call. ‘You're gonna find what you're looking for’, an unknown voice told him before hanging up,” it said.

According to him, the threats intensified, after he received a series of text messages saying that his case would be dealt with in the coming days.

The organisation called on President Biya to use his influence to end practices that are undermining the free flow of information, further pleading with the government to bring defamation laws in line with international standards by eliminating criminal penalties.

Since Cameroon gained independence in 1961, it has struggled from one-party rule to a multi-party system in which the freedom of expression has been severely limited.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories