Yaoundé, Cameroon – A prominent Cameroonian social media activist has disappeared under mysterious circumstances following his arrest three weeks ago, raising fears of a forced return to his home country from neighboring Gabon.
Steve Akam, widely known online as Ramon Cotta, was last seen in a video circulating on social media, handcuffed and surrounded by Cameroonian police near the Gabon border. The video, reportedly filmed in the town of Kye-Ossi, has ignited concerns about his safety.
Akam, a vocal critic of President Paul Biya, had amassed a following of over 30,000 on TikTok. In his final video, he accused the president of prolonging the conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions to maintain power.
Human Rights Watch has condemned the disappearance, accusing the Cameroonian government of a growing crackdown on dissent ahead of the 2025 elections. The organization believes Akam may have been forcibly returned to Cameroon without due process.
Cameroon’s police have declined to comment on the matter, while Akam’s lawyers remain unreachable. Opposition leader Maurice Kamto has called for the government to account for the activist’s whereabouts.
The case echoes the chilling murder of journalist Martinez Zogo, whose body was found mutilated near Yaoundé last year. Zogo had investigated alleged corruption involving a government-linked media mogul. Several high-profile figures, including the head of the counterintelligence service, are currently on trial for their involvement in the journalist’s killing.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Cameroonian authorities to be transparent in both the Zogo and Akam cases, highlighting a pattern of impunity for attacks on the press.
