SECTOR 1 wanted the organisers, a coalition of CSOs and trade unions, to change the theme of the press conference on the grounds that public discussion about power change could potentially disrupt public order. Similar loopholes in the law include offences such as ’affront’ to a public authority or dignitary. This penal code provision was used in 2017 to detain a Cameroon-born American citizen, Patrice Nganang, for several weeks over a Facebook post allegedly threatening President Paul Biya. Professor Nganang was arrested at the airport as he was attempting to leave the country, after a trip that included a visit to the restive Anglophone regions. In addition, Cameroon has several pieces of legislation that directly restrict freedom of expression. These include criminal libel and secrecy laws. Earlier this year, news media reported that at least 16 government officials had been arrested for leaking confidential memos and other government documents through social media. According to a Voice of America report from 20 April 2018, leaked documents included advance copies of presidential speeches and memos requesting security operatives to restrict the foreign travel of certain public figures. Authorities have quoted administrative and security secrecy regulations to condemn the leak of official documents and to threaten civil servants and other potential leakers. The penal code continues to be used to address media offences such as libel and defamation. However, panellists observed that the number of libel cases going to the courts appears to be declining. One explanation is the increasing role of the NCC in handling media complaints – the NCC claims its mandate is limited to questions of journalism ethics and does not replace court actions. Another explanation is the exercise of ’administrative tolerance’, that refers to the idea that authorities allow some media offences to go unpunished as a means of promoting press freedom. Nevertheless, panellists argued that the country’s criminal libel laws can always be used to silence critical media – whenever it suits the government. The NCC has become more notable for its sanctions against journalists than for any actions that have ended up in dismissals or amicable settlements. In 2016, the NCC shut down the Aurore Plus newspaper for allegedly running unfounded stories and accusations against the former general manager of the Cameroon Airlines Corporation, Jean-Paul Sandjo. In a highly controversial move, it also banned the paper’s publisher, Michel Moussala, from practising journalism. In the past three years, the NCC has passed dozens of sanctions including the suspension of journalists and news outlets. The organ has both been praised for bold decisions, such as sanctions against journalists of the state-broadcaster, and accused of serving powerful interests. Members of the NCC admit that they are under immense pressure from powerful individuals to sanction journalists but add that the council strives to work independently. Despite a seemingly hostile environment for the practice of journalism, entry into the profession is unrestricted. A journalist is legally recognised as someone with the aptitude for newsgathering and reporting, and earning the majority of their 14 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2018