Detained Cameroonian advocate for democracy released
Cameroonian authorities have released Junior Ngombe, a young activist and advocate for democratic change, who was detained last week.
Ngombe, a 23-year-old hairdresser and social media influencer with over 12,000 followers on TikTok, was arrested in Douala on July 24 after posting videos advocating for democratic reforms ahead of the 2025 presidential election in the country.
Ngombe's arrest and subsequent detention at the State Defence Secretariat (SED) in Yaoundé drew widespread criticism from human rights organisations and advocates for freedom of expression.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlighted the increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and association in Cameroon and called on the government to listen to peaceful demands for reform instead of stifling dissent.
“Cameroonian authorities should listen to peaceful demands for reform instead of stifling freedom of expression,” HRW said in a statement on Monday, July 29.
The young activist's videos encouraged Cameroonians to register to vote in the February 2025 presidential election and questioned the authorities' intolerance of criticism. In one of his videos, Ngombe expressed doubts about the electoral process's fairness, even if many youths registered to vote.
“I know many of you have not yet registered for the presidential election -- no worries, I know you will,” Ngombe says in French. “I have already enrolled on the electoral list, but I know that, even if millions of us register massively, the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement … will still do everything possible to win.”
Ngombe's lawyer, Barrister Akere Muna, confirmed that the activist had been granted bail and that no charges had yet been filed against him. Muna, who is also an opposition politician, stated that "authorities might decide to either drop the case or press charges after further investigation."
The release of Ngombe has been welcomed by human rights advocates, who continue to call for all charges against him to be dropped. Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher at HRW, emphasised that Ngombe should never have been arrested in the first place and that his place is not in prison.
“His place is not in prison,” she posted on X. “He should have never been arrested."
This incident comes amid heightened tensions in Cameroon, where President Paul Biya's government has faced criticism for handling dissent and efforts to extend his four-decade rule.
The recent warning by the Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, against using "irreverent or offensive" language towards President Biya underlines the government's sensitivity to criticism.
