An Associated Press journalist was reportedly beaten by police and briefly detained in Yaounde, Cameroon, alongside three other reporters and a lawyer. The incident occurred as they attempted to interview Africans recently deported from the United States, according to two sources who spoke to Reuters.
The journalists had their equipment confiscated, which has yet to be returned, and were taken to the judicial police by plainclothes officers on Tuesday. They had been attempting to film the facility hosting the deportees when the confrontation took place.
Freelance journalist Randy Joe Sa’ah, who was among those briefly held, described the ordeal as “an extremely stressful experience.” He added, “I was surprised by how quickly the situation escalated. It felt as though our only ‘offence’ was simply being present at the facility where people were being held.”
The Associated Press declined to comment on the incident, while Cameroon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and police did not respond to requests for comment.
The first group of deportees arrived in Cameroon in January, including two individuals from Ghana, two from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), two from Morocco, two from Angola, and one from Zimbabwe. While the Moroccans have since returned home, the remaining seven migrants are still in Cameroon. A second group arrived early on Monday, comprising three Ethiopians, one Senegalese, one Kenyan, one Sierra Leonean, and two from the DRC.
The Trump administration had approached several African governments about accepting deportees as part of its campaign to deter immigration through high-profile deportations to so-called “third countries.” In some cases, migrants have voiced concerns for their safety. Cameroon has not disclosed whether it participated in the US administration’s program, and the State Department could not be immediately reached for comment.
The recent flights have brought the total number of deportees in Cameroon to 17, according to four deportees and two lawyers. All of these individuals had been granted withholding of removal status in the US, a protection designed to prevent deportation to countries where they fear persecution or harm.
