Special News: Press enquiry about the freed French hostages in Cameroon

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION, ISSA TCHIROMA BAKARY

Communication Minister, Isa Tchiroma Bakary on Friday, April 19, 2013 in Yaounde told reporters that the Cameroon governement had taken all security measures to pre-empt any reoccurrence of the incident of February 19, 2013 when seven French tourists were kidnapped in Dabanga in the Far North Region and ferried away to Nigeria. This was during a press briefing organised to inform the press of the release of  the hostages. 

Credit: Cameroon Tribune: Cameroon President Paul Biya and Laurent Fabius, the French  Misnister of Foreingn Affairs  welcomed the freed hostages at the palais de l'Unity Yaounde

Issa Tchiroma Bakary read out the press release signed by the Minister , Secretary  General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinad Ngoh Ngog announcing the release of the hostages secured by Cameroonian authorities on the night of  April 19. The kidnapped seven French people included Tanguy Moulin- Four-nier, his wife Albane, his brother Noulin Gopril and his four  children, Eloi, Andeol, Mael and Clarence who were all safe an sound. The president of the Republic, Paul Biya in the release thanked the Nigerian and French governments for their support. "The President of the Republic reaffirms his determination to continue to work hard for Cameroon to remain a land of hospitality, peace, stability, tolerance and progress," the press relase stated.

Despite the clear nature of press release and the insistence of the Communication Minister that it was time to celebrate the victory and not to interrogate more on the hostages, journalists still asked questions. They wanted to Know whether any ransom was paid before the  release of the hostages, where the hostages were and security assurances. They also asked whether the kidnappers were linked to the Nigerian sect, Noko Haram. The Minister said it was time to celebrate the release of hostages which was achieved thanks to the determination, wisdom and sagacity of the Head of State, Paul Biya who discretely worked for the happy-ended result.

 To Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the essential thing was that the hostages were released. Cameroon, Nigeria and France with other collaborators all joined their efforts for this achievement. He invited the reporters to join the Head of State in the celebrations.  This he explained was because Cameroon had scored an important point in the international scene. He used the occasion to inform tourists that Cameroon was a land in which peace and harmony reign, reassuring that nothing would happen to them. 

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Source: Cameroon Tribune, CRTV, L'anecdote