African Media Barometer Cameroon 2018 Summary Cameroon’s Constitution is inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the United Nations, the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights, and other international treaties and conventions. It guarantees freedom of expression; including freedom of association, of religion, media, and the right to strike. Cameroon passed a Social Communication law in 1990. This law lays down the legal framework under which media freedom is exercised. It also provides basic definitions of media practices, media practitioners, and lays conditions for licensing broadcasting. Some critics say that these conditions can be restrictive at times, in particular, the financial aspect. They also refer to the notion of ‘breach of public order’, a notion vaguely defined in the law. In conclusion, they deem that the law is not thorough, and advocate the enactment of a Media Act that addresses the practice of journalism in the country. In practice, people still ‘look over their shoulders’ or ‘mind their language’ when speaking in public. It can be risky to speak the truth in certain circumstances. In one case, a journalist was sentenced to jail by a military court for withholding information from the authorities. The existence of an anti-terrorism law makes it difficult for journalists to know what to safely report. This is particularly true with the activities of the Islamic organisation, Boko Haram, and the independence movement in the Anglophone regions of the country. In these regions, the authorities sometimes shut down the internet to limit the use of social media to share information. Speaking on freedom of expression, some panellists insist that people must be careful when they speak to avoid finding themselves on the ‘wrong side’. Some panellists believe that with an open constitution, the authorities have enacted insidious pieces of legislation that restrict freedom. Cameroon-born American citizen, Patrice Nganang, was detained for several weeks for allegedly threatening the head of state in a Facebook post. Mr Nganang had been visiting the troubled Anglophone regions. There are also criminal libel and secrecy laws. In early 2018, 16 government officials were arrested under these laws; accused of leaking confidential documents. The authorities can also use the penal code to address media offences such as libel and defamation. However, these offences are now generally dealt with by the National Communication Council (NCC), which can shut down media outlets or ban journalists. Some panellists contend that the NCC does not always bow to 4 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2018