Samuel Wazizi, a Cameroonian journalist who was arrested in August for criticizing the government’s handling of a separatists revolt, has died in detention, rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has said. 

Wazizi worked for CMTV, a local broadcaster in the Central African country which has been plagued by conflict since 2017 as separatists sought to force the government to split the country into two.

"Wazizi died in detention," RSF said in a statement seen by Al Jazeera, calling for a "thorough and independent investigation" into what happened.

The media watchdog said the journalist was arrested on August 2, 2019, and "accused of speaking critically on the air about the authorities and their handling of the crisis.”

The revelation of Wazizi’s death comes after lengthy speculation on his status, having not been seen since his arrest.

In its statement, RSF said Wazizi's death in detention "is the worst crime against a journalist in the past 10 years in Cameroon". 

"We call on the Cameroonian authorities to end the intolerable silence around this case, to return the journalist's body to his family, and to conduct a thorough, independent investigation to establish the chain of responsibility and circumstances leading to this tragedy," it added.