// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho did Mimi Mefo call? Mefo-ne.
Mimi Mefo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mimi Mefo in 2019 | |
| Born | Mimi Mefo Takambou 16 May 1989 Baleng, Cameroon |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Mimi Mefo Newuh (born 16 May 1989; with the maiden name Takambou in Baleng, Cameroon)[1] is a Cameroonian journalist and human rights activist who reports on the Anglophone Crisis and advocates for press freedom. She went into exile in England following a tweet related to the conflict[2] in Cameroon and subsequent incarceration.
Birth and education
[edit]Mimi Mefo Newuh was born on 16 May 1989, in Baleng near Bafoussam in the West Region of Cameroon.[3] She studied journalism at the University of Buea, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2011 after completing her A-levels.[1]
Career
[edit]She began her career at HI Tv, a local television station in Buea, in the South-West Region. Later, she worked as a reporter and anchor for Equinoxe Television.[3] In April 2018, she became the first ever female deputy editor-in-chief [4] at the same television station, overseeing the Anglophone desk[5]
In the same 2018 September, she established her own news platform known as Mimi Mefo Info, seeking to provide information about the ongoing issues in the Cameroon's Western regions to fellow Cameroonians and the world at large.[6]
In February, she arrived England to begin her five-month residency with English PEN. Since her arrival, Mimi has appeared on the BBC World Service, spoken to Masters students at City and De Montfort Universities and the board of AMMPE, and also met with fellow writers and activists to discuss press freedom concerns in Cameroon and beyond.
Arrest
[edit]As a result of Mimi's reports, she faced death threats, online harassment and physical surveillance.
In November 2018, she was arrested and detained for 10 days on charges of "endangering state security".[7] She was accused of posting a tweet accusing the Cameroonian army of being responsible for the death of an American pastor in the Northwest Region of Cameroon in the context of the Anglophone Crisis. She was released after an international campaign of support.[8] Following her release from prison after 4 days, she left Cameroon for England[9] and was recruited by Deutsche Welle in Germany.[10]
Awards
[edit]Private life
[edit]Mimi Mefo married Kingsley Sheteh Newuh in the UK on 7 October 2022. They have two children.
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Mimi Mefo Takambou, Biographie". www.camerounweb.com. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ↑ "Journalists jailed in Cameroon on charges of 'fake news'". NZ Herald. 7 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 "Mimi Mefo". Integrity 20 | Griffith University. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ↑ "'Not an easy ride' - the long and winding road to digital journalism in Cameroon | Al Jazeera Media Institute". institute.aljazeera.net. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ↑ "Cameroon drops fake news charges against Mimi Mefo". BBC News. 13 November 2018. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ↑ "English PEN Freedom to write Freedom to Read". Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ↑ AfricaNews (8 November 2018). "Cameroonian journalist imprisoned for publishing what is considered "fake" news". Africanews. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ↑ AfricaNews (10 November 2018). "Cameroon journalist Mimi Mefo released". Africanews. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ↑ "Mimi Mefo Takambou". English Pen. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ↑ Atia T. AZOHNWI. "Cameroon: Mimi Mefo tackles President Biya over journalist Wazizi's death in military custody. Tell him "you will definitely not be in power forever"". www.cameroon-info.net. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ↑ O'Malley, Nick (24 October 2019). "'You could not make this up': journalist barred from Australian free speech conference". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ↑ AfricaNews (4 February 2019). "Cameroon journalist Mimi Mefo shortlisted for 2019 Press Freedom award". Africanews. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
 | This Cameroonian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |