Mimi Mefo Newuh, known shortly as Mimi Mefo, is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of news portal, Mimi Mefo Info and a Cameroonian journalist and human rights advocate who has gained international recognition for her work in investigative journalism and press freedom advocacy. Born on May 16, 1989, in Baleng, in the West Region of Cameroon, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Buea in 2011 before embarking on a career in media. Mefo started her professional journey at HI TV, a local television station in Buea, before joining Equinoxe Television in 2012 as a reporter and anchor. Her dedication and reporting skills led to her appointment as the first female editor-in-chief of the English service at Equinoxe TV and Radio in April 2018.
In this role, she covered sensitive national issues, including the Anglophone crisis, corruption, and human rights violations. Throughout her career, Mimi Mefo has been an advocate for press freedom and journalistic independence. Her reporting on politically and socially sensitive topics has led to multiple threats and harassment. In November 2018, she was arrested on charges of “endangering state security” following her reporting on the death of an American missionary in Cameroon’s North West Region. Her detention, which lasted ten days, prompted widespread international condemnation, leading to her eventual release. I
n September 2018, Mefo founded Mimi Mefo Info (MMI), an independent news platform that provides real-time news and investigative journalism, particularly focusing on issues in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions. Operating from the UK, Germany, and Cameroon, MMI has grown into a key news source for many Cameroonians, especially amid increasing media restrictions in the country. Mefo’s work has earned her several international awards and recognitions. In 2019, she received the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Journalism Award. She was also named Female Journalist of the Year in Cameroon in 2018 and won the Best Female TV Presenter award for the 2018/2019 period.
