Cameroon Journalists Mourn Colleague Killed in Restive Northwest Region

Cameroon journalists say scores of civilians and reporters on Monday visited the Bamenda residence of reporter Anye Nde Nsoh to sympathize with his family.

Nsoh was killed in Bamenda, capital of Cameroon's Northwest region, on Sunday night.

Jude Muma, local president of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ, said he led a delegation of several dozen reporters that visited Nsoh's family.

"I speak to you from the family compound and the family is in grave pain. Anye Nde Nsoh has a baby. The mother of the baby is uncontrollable [inconsolable]. Anye Nde Nsoh's family is in pain, neighbors are in pain, colleagues of the journalism profession are also here in pain that Anye Nde Nsoh is no more," Muma spoke via telephone from Bamenda.

Cameroon media reports that scores of civilians in the Southwest region also visited the head office of the Advocate newspaper to sympathize with colleagues of the killed reporter.

The newspaper’s publisher, Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe, said Nsoh was professionally upright and good-humored, and said he cannot understand why someone would kill him.

Tarhyand said he had a long telephone conversation with Nsoh just hours before the reporter was killed.

"Two hours after I edited his stories, finished talking to him, I had a call that he was shot. This guy was an aspiring young journalist, full of the spirit to work and to serve. A very humble young man is gone. It is a huge loss to the Cameroonian press. I use this opportunity again to condemn the killing of journalists. In fact, they are soft targets. It's so sad," Tarhyand said.

Charles Embola, publisher of Volcanic Times newspaper, said his organization is investigating Nsoh's death and has spoken with several witnesses and officials in Bamenda.

“From every indication, it was more of a targeted killing because the guys came in on a bike and went straight and shot him on the chest and our colleague died on the spot. No other person in that public space was a target,” said Charles.

It was not clear whether the killing was related to the ongoing battle between Cameroon government troops and separatists in the Northwest and Southwest regions.

Separatist forces are trying to split off the regions, where most people speak English, as an independent state from French-speaking majority Cameroon. The International Crisis Group reports that 6,000 people have been killed since 2017.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the death of Nsoh. Cameroon's military says Nsoh was killed by separatist fighters, but gives no possible motives.

Separatists on social media denied involvement in his killing, while a separatist leader, Capo Daniel, said Nsoh was the victim of a case of mistaken identity.

Nsoh is the 3rd journalist to be killed in Cameroon in 2023. Earlier this year, investigative journalist Martinez Zogo and radio presenter Jean-Jacques Ola Bebe were killed in the capital, Yaounde.

Cameroonian journalists say they remain fearful and have reported killings and threats on journalists to the police.

Speaking during World Press Freedom Day activities in Yaounde, Cameroon's Communication Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi assured reporters of government protection in the exercise of their duties.

Source: VOA