Miners released after 8 months imprisonment in Gabon

Cameroonian gold miners’ who were tortured and put behind bars for eight months in Gabon have finally been released.

After several negotiations between the two countries the 24 mineworkers were released on Wednesday. They were welcomed home by Ebolowa Jules Marcelin Ndjaga, Governor of the South.

The former prisoners had been arrested in Mvam II, a village in the district of Oveng, the Dja and Lobo, in the South, on November 10, 2013, after they had been involved in gold digging in a village located 37 kilometres from Gabon territory.

According to Ekamba Rodrigue, from Mvam II, it is a place of business and within the Cameroonian territory that had been taken over by the Gabonese military. The boundary however is concealed from people as it lies in a protected forest and thus can only by identified by the authorities.

He said: "The Gabonese Pygmies hunting this side went to report their presence to the Gabonese authorities, suspecting that they had not only weapons but also elephant trunks. The newly appointed 34 commandos of the Gabonese army surrounded the bush for several days in order to catch them."

Actually, a total of 27 people were arrested, 24 Cameroonians, two Senegalese and one Nigerian. The detainees were stripped of all their possessions and had all their identity documents burned.

After being subjected to all kinds of torture countless beatings they spent three days walking in the forest to join the first Gabonese village called Minvoul, where two military trucks awaited to transport them to the central Oyem prison.

Trauma Rodrigue Ekamba recounted how they spent nine miserable days in custody before being taken to court and finally thrown in prison. They sadly had to leave behind one of their comrades, Tabela Roger, who was shot dead with two bullets fired by the Gabonese soldiers, a memory which still haunts his brother Stephen Fako.

During their stay in prison, they were visited by Colonel Etienne Abondo Evina Zeh, a senior officer of the Cameroonian army, who came to reassure them of the support of the President of the Republic, and that the problem was being resolved “diplomatically”.

Eight months in prison They had several court hearing while in Oyem and were eventually sentenced to three months in prison despite having already spent eight months locked up. When the 27 prisoners finally regained their freedom on Wednesday, the Gabonese army took them to the border between Meyo and Ekié, where the 24 Cameroonians were able to cross over to their home.

They were met by a teary welcome from overwhelmed family members and made their way to Ebolowa, the regional capital of the South, where they were greeted by the governor and invited to spend the night in a hotel.

The next day they were welcomed officially by the governor and his staff and Jules Marcelin Ndjaga said they received good wishes to return home to Cameroon, and the head of the State was aware of their situation.

Out of the 24 Cameroonian, two had developed pulmonary infection which is reportedly being treated locally. Provisions have also been made to ensure each miner is able to be reunited with their family. Repatriation of Remains

In the case the deceased, the governor assured family that the Cameroonian diplomatic missions based in Gabon had recovered the body of Tabela Roger from the morgue in Oyem, and would ensure his body is returned to family.