Since November 2016, the North-western and South-western regions of Cameroon have experienced a socio-political crisis known as the "Anglophone problem". This situation, which evolves over the course of the days at the will of the protagonists, has impact on the citizen who suffers the inherent consequences: paralysis of economic life, prohibited men’s movement (ghost town), attack on physical and moral integrity sometimes aimed at children.

The North- west and South- west are isolated from the rest of the world in general and Cameroon in particular since January 17, 2016 around 10 pm for no reason so far. The other Cameroonians who go through social networks are now threatened by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, and therefore, by the government. Never has the Law No. 2010/013 of 21 December 2010 governing electronic communications in Cameroon been the subject of the same awareness by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, since the break-up of the crisis. An attitude that hides badly a strong threat to the Cameroonian Net surfers.

Indeed, in recent years, the violation of public and individual freedoms by authorities has caused a real rush of Cameroonians to the social networks which remain the only place where they truly exercise their freedom of opinion, expression and information. Since several months now, bloggers, web activists are the target of the Cameroonian government which says fears the destabilization of the country by social networks.

As for not staying behind in this movement where all the depositaries of the authority of the State want to show that they are working, it is around the President of the National Council of Communication (NCC) to recall its existence and that of its structure. He made read on the antennas of the national radio on January 20, 2017 at 1 pm, a statement that declares war on the private media. Indeed, while warning the private press based both in the english-speaking and French-speaking parts of the country, the threat, the others with, closing if they came to speak or relay any information relating to federalism and secession. A few days earlier, it was the radio station Hot Cocoa FM based in Bamenda, the capital of the North-West region, which was shut down by the local authorities on the pretext of defending federalism and secession.

The president of the NCC thus becomes an accomplice of a serious and flagrant violation of the right of the citizens to the information and the freedom of press. Moreover, it undermines the democracy that is so dear to us and conquered in a hard struggle without passive participation. On the other hand, he says in the threats statement that talking about secession and federalism is "anti-democratic". A true incongruity which hides the wish to muzzle the citizens and the press, while depriving them in the meantime of the exercise of their opinions on the march of their city while Cameroon is a decentralized state.

 From the above, the ADISI-Cameroon condemns with the last energy:

- Violations of citizens freedom of opinion;

- attacks on the freedom of expression of citizens;

- Violations of citizens freedom of information and information;

- Violations of press freedom;

- infringements of the editorial and tonal freedom of the press;

- The bloating of the press;

- The return to censorship;

All these rights and freedoms being guaranteed by the constitution of the State of Cameroon and by international texts deliberately ratified by our country.

Thus, from the above, call on the Cameroon government to:

- Stop the manipulation of information;

- Respect for the citizen's right to quality information;

- Respect for the freedom of tone of private media;

- Re-establish, as soon as possible and unconditionally, electronic communications in the North-West and South-West regions;

- Communicating on the current crisis in order to build citizens, notably on the historical stages of the two parts of the country that are the subject of this crisis and the Foumban agreements;

- To design an OMBUSMAN as soon as possible to resolve this situation and many others which take unacceptable and alarming turns;

- The urgent adoption of a law on freedoms of access to information (FOIA) that would guarantee the transparent management of such crises;

- Calls on citizens to defend their rights and draws journalists attention to the dangers facing their profession

Done at Douala on 22 January 2017

For ADISI-Cameroon;

Paul-Joël KAMTCHANG

Executive Secretary