A prominent Cameroonian social media activist and vocal critic of the government, Steve Akam, who vanished last month, has been found in a military court detention cell in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, showing signs of torture, according to Human Rights Watch on Tuesday.
Akam, known for his outspoken criticism of President Paul Biya’s administration, was reportedly extradited from Gabon, where he had been living for the past decade. His lawyers, who were granted access to him in custody, discovered him partially paralyzed and suffering from severe visual impairments.
Akam, who goes by the alias Ramon Cotta on TikTok with over 30,000 followers, was last seen in a widely circulated video where he appeared handcuffed and surrounded by Cameroonian police near the Gabonese border. In one of his recent videos, Akam accused Biya of prolonging the conflict in Cameroon’s anglophone regions to maintain his grip on power.
Human Rights Watch’s senior Sahel researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, expressed grave concern over Akam’s deteriorating condition, stating that he “may already have lost his sight and ability to walk properly as a result of torture,” and urged the Cameroonian government to provide immediate medical care and launch an investigation into the alleged torture.
