The online campaign dubbed #FreeRebecca has gone viral and prominent people across the globe, including former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy and the Canadian High Commissioner, Richard Bail have asked for her release.
Justice is not a toy, #FreeRebecca. That is the slogan of the campaign many have been going with on social platforms ever since the alert on tech guru, Rebecca Enonchong’s detention at the Douala Gendarmerie Legion was given by social activist, Edith Kah Walla on her Twitter page.
Since then, the latter has been sharing updates on the case many have considered as an attempt by Cameroonian authorities to “intimidate” and make use of “abuse of power” and “harassment” of a woman who is known for her candid statements and her criticism of how issues are addressed in the country, especially the Anglophone crisis.
In a tweet that has been widely shared, the former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy mocks the Government, says there is no doubt her detention is politically inclined and adds that it lacks finesse (see tweet below).
The Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon, Richard Bail equally joined his voice by indicating that the move by the Government could be disadvantageous and sent technology investors away; taking into consideration the tech guru’s fame.
“Canada expresses its strong concern about the signal sent to foreign investors and technology partners by Rebecca Enonchong’s arbitrary detention. Cameroon’s technology and startup sectors have huge potential to create jobs and wealth in the country. Ms. Enonchong is a leader in these sectors of whom all Cameroonians can be proud. As Board Chair of Afrilabs, a Pan-African network of innovation centers across Africa, Chair of ActivSpaces in Cameroon with its three tech hubs in Cameroon, and co-founder of the Cameroon Angels Network, she is nurturing #Cameroonian tech talent and attracting critical foreign into the technology sector.” Richard Bail wrote in a Facebook post Thursday.
With an #FreeRebecca on his Twitter page, the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Christophe Guilhou did same.
This Friday August 13, a video of women calling for her immediate and unconditional release and shared by Edith Kah Walla equally went viral.
The influential tech CEO was arrested and brought before court in Douala, without any formal complaint- reports say the Attorney General gave verbal orders for her to be arrested for ‘contempt of court’ in a family affair.
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