« The government must provide confirmation, immediately and publicly, about the life of Mr. Steeve Akam alias Ramon Cotta, and if he is still alive, that he has not been tortured. “. The requirement Mr. Maurice Kamto. In a press release made public on August 7, 2024, the president of the Movement for the Recovery of Cameroon (MRC) notes that “ more than two weeks later [que l’activiste politique ait été livré au gouvernement du Cameroun par le gouvernement de transition du Gabon]we have no news of the unfortunate companion».
The leader of the main opposition party is even more suspicious since he suffered the wrath of the Yaoundé regime in 2019, and some activists and supporters of his party are still behind bars for planned or organized demonstrations of protest against bad management; and he suffered a severe punishment. ” MRC activists have suffered several waves of violence, kidnapping and incommunicado detention since the 2018 election suspension. We also know about the cruel and inhumane practices taking place in some of our security services to to launch this red alert about the Steeve Akam case. », asks Maurice Kamto.
Martinez’s dream
With the silence of the Yaoundé authorities since the arrest of Ramon Cotta by the Gabonese authorities, then when he returns to power in Yaoundé, Maurice Kamto fears the worst: ” Would we face a new Martinez Zogo Affair that the government is trying to cover up?“, he asks himself. Connecting with this radio host kidnapped in January 2023 by elements of Cameroonian counter-espionage (Dgre), who was tortured to death and whose body was found in a suburb of Yaoundé a few days later. No one has received any news from him so far, we have to fear that his execution has already secured the real fate that the Dgre issued to Martinez Zogo; or, to be optimistic, that he was so damaged by the torture that his killers hid him, the time for them to treat his bruised body before they consider bringing him to justice.“, he speculates. By the way, Maurice Kamto” regret that the transitional authorities of the Republic of Gabon agreed to contribute to an internationally wrongful act ».
Young Ngombe
The voice of Maurice Kamto shouts loudly to raise concern already with other voices that are not heard, since its publication Young Ngombe, another activist who sharply attacked the Yaoundé regime in a video, for its management. The case of the 20-year-old man, who was arrested in the same period, benefited from a massive movement and almost a week after his arrest manu militari, the boy was released, with the support of lawyers professional. In front of the media, the activist, together with former President Akéré Muna, said that he had not suffered torture, and above all that he had been treated well. What many observers suspected was a settlement obtained with the support of the vice-president of the bar, to release the guilty, against pressure.
Samuel Wazizi
Other similar cases support the proponents of this thesis of kilav activity. Yaoundé had already been deafened by the disappearance of Captain Guérandi, who had previously been an exile in Burkina Faso and left without a trace. Jeune Afrique had reported on the assassination of the soldier who escaped arrest in connection with the failed coup d’état of April 6, 1984, but it seemed that he was not caught a- ever. There is also Samuel Wazizi, a journalist who was arrested by the defense and security forces in the South West region and was transported to Yaoundé more than three years ago, in unclear circumstances. The government eventually admitted that he died as a result of events, but did not officially hand over the body to the family. So many issues that scare Maurice Kamto.
This comes at a time when Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is living in Cameroon. The United Nations high representative met with the country’s authorities from the highest state level, as well as heads of human rights associations and political parties.
