MINAT boss says Biya aware of those spewing xenophobia, hate speech.

The disclosure of the MINAT boss is contained in a release issued yesterday, a copy of which The Guardian Post stumbled on. 

Atanga Nji in the release, reaffirmed government’s resolve to unleash, without minding whose ox is gored, the heavy arm of the law on perpetrators as well as defenders of the “grievous acts,” which he said, “seriously threaten our living together and social cohesion which are so dear to the President of the Republic”.

“The Government of the Republic therefore wants to put an immediate end to this deviant behaviour,” Atanga Nji warned perpetrators of hate and xenophobia. 

“Henceforth, any person guilty of hate speech and any media used as conveyors of xenophobic messages shall be punished in accordance with the laws of the Republic. The same shall apply to those who, through social media, propagate hate speech, violence and tribalism,” the Minister warned.

Atanga Nji was categorical that: “Accomplices or facilitators to the above-mentioned offences shall be prosecuted and sentenced in the same way as the offenders”. 

Dangles suspension on media organs 

The Interior Minister, in the release, also sent a grim message to owners of media organs as well as journalists whose media houses or programmes are used to convey hate and divisive tendencies. 

“Hate speech, xenophobia, unprecedented tribalism and stigmatisation of some ethnic groups or components of our society are now rampant on the media and social media,” he regretted. 

“Administrative authorities have already been instructed to take precautionary measures ranging from the suspension of activities to the closure of communication and media organs that have become vectors of biased messages that promote tribalism, xenophobia and hate speech,” he threatened. 

The MINAT boss was clear that the bedrock of the New Deal government of Paul Biya, is hinged on “living together-that is, harmony, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence among the sociological components of our country”. 

He further stated that the “Republican ideals,” which President Biya “holds close to his heart,” are clear that “every Cameroonian is at home wherever he or she is”.

Draws attention of perpetrators to laid down laws 

Minister Atanga Nji said it was on the backdrop of the rise in the social ills that the government recently granted a joint press conference to sensitise the national and international community on the dangers of this verbal misconduct which has become a common practice in the country.

The member of government, through the release, reminded Cameroonians of laid down laws that punish those found guilty of promoting hate and xenophobia.

“It is worth recalling that relevant provisions of Section 77 of Law No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 on cybersecurity and cybercrime in Cameroon, and Section 241-1 of Law No. 2019/020 of 24 December 2019 to amend and supplement some provisions of Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 on the penal code, which punishes contempt of tribe or ethnicity, shall hence be applied strictly,” partly read the release. 

The release furthered that: “For all intents and purposes, Section 241-1 is quite explicit: (1) Whoever, by any means, makes hate speech against people or incites them to violence due to their tribal or ethnic origin shall be punished with imprisonment 1 (one) to (two) years and with a fine of 300 000 (three hundred thousand) to 3 000 000 (three million) francs”. 

“(3) Where the author of hate speech is a Public Servant as per the provisions of Section 131 of this Code, a leader of a political party, of the media, of a Non-Governmental Organisation or of a religious institution, the punishment provided for in subsection 1 above shall be doubled and the benefit of mitigating circumstances shall not be given,” the Minister’s release concluded.

It should be said the Yaounde regime was awaken from slumber to strike the iron while it is still hot after the disturbing echoes of xenophobia and hate speech that emanated from a recently held forum in the South West Region, which organisers said was to discuss “peace and development”.