“Barbaric, inhuman, unacceptable”: Catholic Bishops in Cameroon on Murdered Journalist

They urge the government “to do everything possible to shed light on this case and to identify the culprits and bring them before the law.”

“The State must guarantee and protect freedom of expression, especially in a context where the political and socio-economic situation does not allow the full development of all,” Catholic Bishops in Cameroon say in the their one-page declaration signed by NECC President, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of Bamenda Archdiocese. 

On January 22, the government issued a statement saying an investigation is underway “to find and bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous, unspeakable and inadmissible crime, which cannot be justified under any pretext.”

In the statement, Communication Minister, René Emmanuel Sadi, said, “Cameroon is a country that respects rule of law and where freedom of the press is guaranteed.”

Mr. Zogo was host of a popular daily show, “Traffic Jam,” where he regularly denounced alleged embezzlement by prominent personalities, especially from the business world.

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In their January 29 collective statement, NECC members say, “This sad event comes to mark a regrettable turning point in the history of our country which unfortunately, has bathed in violence for some time now, and this, despite the ardent desire of the population to live in peace and unity.”

“There is no need to recall that violence has never built anything, it can only sow the seeds of violence and hatred, that is why everything must be done to eradicate it in order to privilege dialogue, consensus, the spirit of compromise, for the higher interest of the Nation, for the common good,” they say.

The Catholic Church leaders also present their sincere condolences “to the relatives and friends of the deceased,” and assure them of their “spiritual closeness and associate themselves through prayer with the suffering of the family, as well as with the pain of all those who knew and loved him.”

They invoke God, Father of mercy, so that He may “welcome the deceased in the peace of his light.”

“May Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Patroness of Cameroon, bring peace to our country,” NECC members implore in their January 29 statement shared with ACI Africa.