SOUTHERN Cameroonians/Ambazonians must exercise extreme caution when consuming news reports from Mimi Mefo. This is not a personal attack on her person, but an indictment of her journalistic practices. While she has demonstrated commitment in covering stories from Cameroon and the war in Ambazonia, the unfortunate reality is that her reports are consistently poorly researched, sloppy, misleading, and dangerously irresponsible.
The most recent example was her reporting on the killings in Piyin last week. A group of known kidnappers and extortionists were apprehended by the local population, who, fed up with their criminal acts, decided to take action. In clear video footage, the people can be heard loudly identifying these criminals as individuals who had extorted money from their families. It was widely acknowledged that these individuals were not Ambazonian fighters and had no ties to the Restoration Forces. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Mimi Mefo reported outright that these were Ambazonia fighters, adding that the population was actively chasing out Ambazonian forces from the community.
Such blatant distortion of facts is not just irresponsible—it is dangerous journalism. True Ambazonian Restoration Fighters do not engage in kidnapping and extortion, and the movement has consistently condemned such acts. Yet, through her reckless reporting, Mimi Mefo played directly into the hands of the oppressors, reinforcing a false narrative designed to delegitimize the Ambazonian cause. By failing to distinguish between criminals and freedom fighters, she unwittingly contributes to the misinformation campaign waged by the Biya regime and its supporters.
It is the duty of every journalist, especially one with a significant following, to ensure accuracy and integrity in their reporting. Failing to do so reduces them to nothing more than propagandists and fake news peddlers. Mimi Mefo’s continued pattern of rushed, unverified reporting is not just an affront to the truth; it is a betrayal of the very people she claims to be reporting for. Journalism must be about facts, not about reckless narratives that serve to undermine the struggle of the oppressed.
Ambazonians cannot stand idly by while individuals who command significant followings use their platforms to spread misinformation in the guise of news. If Mimi Mefo wants to be taken seriously as a publisher or journalist, she must hold herself to the highest standards of research and verification. Otherwise, she will continue to be viewed as an enabler of propaganda, working against the interests of the very people she wants to inform. No one should tolerate disinformation disguised as journalism.
Mimi Mefo’s reporting must be based on verifiable facts, not what is commonly known as yellow journalism. As a publisher, she must question her reporters rigorously and ensure that her reports reflect reality, not conjecture. Events that have taken place should be reported with factual accuracy, especially when there is video footage and other concrete evidence available for verification.
