Be patriotic and support law on terror - Tchiroma tells reporters

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Minister of Communication on Monday December 8, entreated journalists to approve and help promote the controversial terrorism bill voted by the National Assembly recently. Tchiroma made the lobby during a press conference to deliver government’s response on what he described as “attacks on legal provisions to suppress acts of terrorism in Cameroon.”

Basically calling on Cameroonian journalists to demonstrate patriotism in the way they cover stories dealing with the new law, the minister said “Cameroonian journalists should report like CNN does on America’s war on terrorism.”

He said, journalists should report ‘constructively’ by siding with government policy on the war against terror. His declaration followed a question posed by a reporter who questioned how they should conduct themselves so as not to be seen or held liable for inciting acts of terror on their line of work.

Tchiroma profusely refuted allegations that the recently adopted bill on the suppression of terrorism is a move to deprive journalists and citizens of their right to freedom of expression.

He said he was aware that since the adoption of the bill by parliament, the gov’t has been under attacks on many fronts, from a fringe of the political class and some representatives of civil society. According to him, these attacks have been widely broadcast by media; undoubtedly under the ideological, economic and editorial guidance of the attackers.

The communication boss who was accompanied to the press conference by Laurent Esso, Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, frowned at the fact that some “detractors” have chosen to distort the facts and put institutions at risk by branding the anti-terrorism bill as a measure to muzzle the press and the entire Cameroonian political class considered hostile to the government.

After reading aloud entire chapter II of the bill, Tchiroma said the bill is clearly all about acts of terrorism and added that the bill emanates from the Cameroon Penal Code of 1967. “These offenses become then an act of terrorism only in case of guilty intention provided and defined in precised cases,” he added.

Comparing the bill to other anti-terrorism laws taken by countries like America (USA Patriot Act) and France, and harping on the fact that international and regional conventions call on countries to make tougher legislation to suppress acts of terrorism, the Minister stated:

“There is therefore no reason for any Cameroonian committed to these values to be afraid of the effects of such a law, no matter its level of severity, inasmuch as it is meant to punish acts that are a pest and destructive as acts of terrorism.”