Cameroon - Biya's New Deal Allows Free Press
by Achidi Ndifang, Douala
Members of the union have expressed their distaste and deplored the way journalists had been arbitrarily arrested and detained, tortured and their publications seized.A major test to the sincerity of Paul Biya's NEW DEAL for his country has emerged in the formation of a national union of the private press and the mass media to fight press censorship and also for the repeal of the country's obnoxious press laws.
The union is the first ever to be accorded government recognition since independence and unification of the country in 1960/61. The symbolic recognition was given when the thirteen member executive committee of the union was officially received by the Minister of Information and Culture at a colourful ceremony at the Minister's office.
The bilingual minister, Mr Sengat Kuo praised the role of professional journalists of the private press for the marvelous manner in which they shaped national and international opinion, during the recent unfortunate events in the country.
The minister said he had been particularly impressed with the objectivity displayed in the private newspapers' analysis of national events and the high sense of nationalism displayed by them. On behalf of the government he stressed that efforts will continue to be made to transform into what he termed, 'concrete reality', President Biya's new deal concept which seeks to encourage a pluralistic press in Cameroon.
Mr Sengat Kuo however, warned against some Cameroonian journalists either on the private or government press, always trying to put the government into difficulties during what he described as "this period of recovered tolerance and press freedom". He further advised the journalists to project facts and not manipulate them especially at this very important and delicate period of the country's history. He called on the Union's executive Bureau to work hard to build a solid code of conduct for its members.
Allaying fears of uncontrolled and generalised censorship which the union's President had earlier described as disgraceful and negation of President Biya's liberalisation process, the minister affirmed that his ministry did not condone censorship neither would it make it its vocation. He informed the Union's Executive bureau that he was in the process of making proposals to the ministry of Territorial Administration and the Presidency so that an inter ministerial committee is set up to look into the problems of censorship of the press.
Some members of the union expressed their union's distaste and deplored the way journalists had been arbitrarily arrested and detained, tortured and their publications seized. Mr Sengat Kuo however explained that sometimes it's just the work of those he referred to as overzealous security officers and administrative officers.
He announced that his ministry will in future arrange a colloquium for all those involved in promoting the private press in Cameroon and also promised his ministry's support and encouragement of the activities of the union. Cameroon under the regime of ex President Ahmadou Ahidjo for 22 years never had a union of journalists despite the fact that they had often wanted to form such a union.
The 13-man Executive bureau of the national union of the private press and the mass media is made up of the following professional journalists:
Minister of Information and Culture Mr Sengat Kuo receiving Dominique Fouda, President, and other members of the Executive Committee of the Union.
National President Mr Dominque Sima Fouda, Vice Presidents David Achidi Ndifang and Paddy Tambe John Administrative Secretary Amadou Vamoulke, Treasurer Francois-Xavier Seh Ambella and his assistant Nkendem Forbinake, Organising Secretary Laurant-Simplice Ngoa- Azombo, Secretary for legal affairs Jean-Paul Onomo Metala, Social Affairs Secretary Jean-Baptiste Sipa, Educational Secretary Charles Atangana Aloa; Secretary of Press and Information Pierre Njeukwa and Financial Secretaries Messrs Martin Towo and Clement Tehomb.
The union hopes that in the near future the union of Cameroon professional Journalists will be affiliated to the International Union of Journalists. Meanwhile it is affiliated to the Con- federation of Cameroon Workers and provincial headquarters of the Union I will soon be officially opened in Douala, Limbe for the Anglophone north and Southwest provinces, Garoua for the three Northern provinces, Yaounde and Bafoussam
