{"id":1779,"date":"2021-07-09T16:48:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-09T16:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/237check.org\/?p=1779"},"modified":"2022-07-19T17:04:59","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T17:04:59","slug":"how-social-media-campaigns-facilitated-the-release-of-kidnapped-journalists-in-nw-sw-regions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/237check.org\/fr\/2021\/07\/09\/how-social-media-campaigns-facilitated-the-release-of-kidnapped-journalists-in-nw-sw-regions\/","title":{"rendered":"How Social Media Campaigns Facilitated the Release of Kidnapped Journalists in NW, SW Regions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since October 2016, Cameroon\u2019s two English-speaking regions have been plagued with a crisis that has degenerated into an armed conflict. Strike actions to call the government\u2019s attention to specific demands attracted severe military crackdowns resulting in an armed conflict. Such suppression resulted in the radicalisation of some youths who picked up arms as the best alternative. The civilian population is the collateral damage in the conflict with multiple deaths, arrests and abductions. Cases of kidnappings are reported almost daily, with some victims either lucky to have their release negotiated or face dangerous consequences in detention. Journalists, in particular, face an alarming rate of kidnapping, with well over a dozen journalists kidnapped since 2018 when the crises took a nosedive. Many of the victims face torture at the hands of their captors. Nonetheless, social media has is a vital advocacy tool that has heralded campaigns at exciting levels, leading to the release of some.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the\u00a0United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)<\/a>, kidnapping has become rampant in Cameroon. Many victims are killed, and some secure their release through the payment of ransoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human Rights Watch (HRW) further corroborates the claim indicating that the kidnapping of politicians, students, clergy, business people, and journalists was on a geometric progression with non-state armed groups accused of being the main perpetrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2019\/07\/11\/kidnappings-endemic-cameroons-anglophone-regions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise in the kidnapping of journalists in the two English speaking regions remains worrisome mainly as they are always regarded as the mouthpiece of society. Fortunately, social media has facilitated the advocacy drive, which has led to the release of all the journalists arrested. From Facebook, through Twitter, to Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp, and blogging websites, advocacy has been endless, with news of any kidnapping going viral within the shortest possible time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Thursday, February 21 2019, journalist Ambe Macmillan, formerly serving as the President of the Northwest Chapter of the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists in 2019. When the news of his kidnap was made public, many journalists and civil rights actors took to social media to advocate for his release. Many condemned the act and called for respect for journalists,\u00a0http:\/\/www.xinhuanet.com\/english\/africa\/2019-02\/22\/c_137840912.htm<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was released days later when pressure from colleagues and other stakeholders mounted on social media.\u00a0https:\/\/tebopost.com\/2019\/02\/22\/freed-journalist-ambe-macmillan-says-why-he-was-kidnaped-hours-after-his-release\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, radio host, John Fung Ngum, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Bamenda. A similar advocacy stormed social media, with many calling for his immediate release. The pressure was so enormous that international rights groups picked the story and escalted the advocacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CAMASEJ demands release of kidnapped journalist, John Fung Ngum<\/a><\/blockquote>