Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou went missing from the CWG athletes village on Tuesday.GETTY IMAGES
Five Cameroonian athletes have been reported missing from the Commonwealth Games athletes village, "with suspicion they have fled with the intention not to return home," according to Ben Doherty of the London GUARDIAN. Weightlifter Olivier Matam Matam and boxers Christian Ndzie Tsoye and Simplice Fotsala have been "missing since earlier this week," while weightlifters Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou and Petit Minkoumba went missing on Tuesday. All had competed except Tsoye, who "failed to show up for his weigh-in" for his 91kg quarterfinal on Tuesday, "granting his opponent a walk-over victory." Cameroon Team Manager Victor Agbor Nso said that it was "unfortunate for the country and its international image." Queensland Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones said that the Australian Federal Police were "keeping a watching brief on these athletes" (GUARDIAN, 4/11). In Brisbane, Felicity Caldwell reported by Wednesday afternoon, Cameroon officials revealed eight out of the 24 athletes on their team "had gone missing from their rooms" in the Games village. The first three athletes "left in the night" of April 8, with two declared missing on April 9 and another three leaving their rooms on Tuesday night. Nso said, "In the meantime, the other two weightlifters of the delegation, along with the basketball players and officials have already left Australia and are presently airborne for Cameroon." The athletes' visas are yet to expire, with authorities "aware of the incident but not currently pursuing a missing person's case" (BRISBANE TIMES, 4/11).
