The entire Journalism corp of the Northwest region of Cameroon under the canopy of Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union, CJTU/SNJC Northwest Chapter, will as from Monday April 13 to Friday April 17, wear black arm bands to show their discontentment of repeated attacks against journalists.
This is was made public in a media release titled ‘Journalism Under Attack in Northwest Region of Cameroon’ published on April 9 by the President of the CJTU NW, Derick Bakah.
The Cameroon Community Media Network, CCMN-NW led by Rosaline Akah Obah and the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ Northwest Chapter led by Ambe Macmillian Awah, have all joined their voices with CJTU to condemn the attempt.
Three unidentified heavily armed men descended on the residence of Choves Loh working for state-owned, Cameroon Tribune in an attempt to take him into captivity
The incident which occurred at about 6.30am on Wednesday April 8, resulted in him sustaining injuries as the perpetrators made away with his family car.
Since the onset of the on-going crisis in the two English speaking regions of the country, several media houses and staff have suffered attacks of all kind.
“This case is not the first, for, indeed, not fewer than five journalists, media professionals and relatives have been kidnapped in Bamenda in the last two years as the armed conflict in the Northwest region mutates on a daily basis” CJTU-NW’s communique read.
Rosaline Akah Obah has urged leaders of the non-state actors, whom have mostly been blamed for the attacks, to come out of their complacent silence and condemn the recent upsurge of threats on Anglophone journalists allegedly from their sympathizers.
Meanwhile, Ambe Macmillian warned that, they won’t fold their arms in the midst of such trivialities and watch in fear.
“We hereby seriously warned all perpetrators of such attacks to desist from such primitivity. Any attempt again on the life of any journalist in the region won’t be taken lightly,” Ambe added.
It should be recalled that the CAMASEJ Northwest Chapter President, Ambe Macmillian Awah was abducting by some unidentified gunmen in Bamenda over a year ago but was later released after widespread condemnation and demand for his release championed by colleague journalists across the country.
_By M N_
