
Audio By Carbonatix
A military court in Cameroon has freed opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who had been in prison for nine months and facing charges of insurrection.His release, along with that of dozens of his supporters, comes as President Paul Biya is aiming to strike a more conciliatory tone.Mr Kamto was detained after organising protests in January against the result of last year's presidential election.The president, in power for 37 years, is trying to quell a separatist revolt.He won a seventh term in office in polls last October. Mr Kamto, running for the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), was his nearest challenger, gaining only 14.2% of the vote.The MRC said the election result was rigged.The government has described the freeing of the opposition leader as a gesture of national reconciliation, the Reuters news agency reports.This week has seen what was dubbed a "Major National Dialogue" as the president tried to bring together different sides in the three-year conflict in Cameroon's two English-speaking provinces.On Thursday, in what appeared to be a goodwill gesture, President Biya ordered all charges dropped against more than 300 people detained in connection with the Anglophone crisis.But the decision failed to appease critics who say thousands more are locked up on trumped-up charges.The National Dialogue made a number of proposals including giving more self-government to the affected North-West and South-West regions.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
False news publication law: Both NDC and NPP use arrests to energise their bases – Adawudu
34 minutes -
‘Don’t rush to scrap it’ – Victor Adawudu defends criminal offensive conduct law
51 minutes -
EU envoys meet to negotiate 21st Russia sanctions package
1 hour -
Actor Rebel Wilson did not defame colleague in social media posts, Australian court finds
1 hour -
Fewer children got US-backed HIV treatment after aid cuts, study finds
1 hour -
Nike to tighten online sales in China amid ‘cluttered’ marketplace
2 hours -
Iraq’s oil minister says US energy deals worth about $200 billion
2 hours -
Oil prices rise slightly after US announces new round of strikes on Iran
2 hours -
US, China to hold AI talks in September, sources say
2 hours -
Alphabet’s Gemini delay, spending worries loom over earnings
2 hours -
TikTok US chief security officer to testify before US House on September 15
3 hours -
OpenAI says AI models went rogue during testing, triggering ‘unprecedented’ breach at startup
3 hours -
Great Apes kiss and cuddle to keep the peace, says study
3 hours -
Iraola wants Mac Allister & Alisson to stay with Liverpool
3 hours -
Bournemouth reject £64m bid from Chelsea for Scott
3 hours