On Wednesday, May 17th, the Ministers of Communication, René-Emmanuel Sadi, of the Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, and the former Prime Minister and President of the Bilingualism and Multiculturalism Commission, Peter Mafany Musonge, publicly condemned the hate speech that is rampant in Cameroon, especially on social networks.
It is unbearable for the Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji to let people on social networks distill hate speech: “We find that hate speech is a serious threat to national unity. He is the one who preaches tribalism, hate speech, xenophobia, and the like are playing with the future of Cameroon”.
Imprisonment of one to two years
The government reminded offenders that Article 241 of the penal code provides penalties for hate speech and encouraged Cameroonians to demonstrate patriotism ahead of the national holiday on May 20. Minister of Communication and government spokesperson René-Emmanuel Sadi warned that anyone engaging in hate speech or inciting violence against people due to their tribal or ethnic affiliation will be subject to legal action.
The explosion of online hate speech
Penalties are to be reinforced when it comes to media men and politicians. Hate speech exploded on the internet the day after the proclamation of the results of the 2018 presidential election, disputed by opponent Maurice Kamto and his supporters.