The trial of murdered radio host Martinez Zogo has been postponed to February 24 by the Yaoundé Military Tribunal, following the hearing yesterday. The delay allows the Centre Court of Appeal to rule on legal challenges filed by both the prosecution and the defense. The appellate court hearing is scheduled for February 20, though some observers note that this date is only indicative. Given the court’s heavy caseload, a ruling may not be issued that day, which could further delay proceedings at the military tribunal. The continuation of the trial hinges on the appeal court’s decision.

Defense lawyers filed appeals to contest the military tribunal’s rulings from November 11, 2024. The panel of judges, led by Colonel Jacques Baudouin Missè Njonè, had dismissed all objections raised by the defense, which argued that the rights of the accused had been violated during the preliminary investigation and judicial inquiry.

Attorneys representing businessman Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga and Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, the former head of Cameroon’s General Directorate for External Research (DGRE), are seeking to have their clients released so they can stand trial as free men. Other lawyers are challenging the reclassification of charges against their clients, arguing that it is premature at this stage of the trial.

Meanwhile, the DGRE, whose 12 agents are implicated in Martinez Zogo’s murder, is attempting to avoid civil liability. The military tribunal has denied the intelligence agency’s request to be recognized as a victim in the case and has instead placed it among the accused— a decision fiercely contested by the DGRE’s legal team.

This is the second time the Court of Appeal has been called upon in this case. In July, defense lawyers had petitioned the court to compel the military tribunal to provide them with copies of the investigation file. The tribunal had ruled that lawyers could only consult the documents on-site, without taking them away. The appellate court sided with the military tribunal, prompting some lawyers to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.

Source: Sbbc

CPDM Senator for the Bamboutos constituency in the West Region who also moonlighted as the traditional ruler for Bati has died after a brief illness. The CPDM Central Committee said that hearts were broken to experience numerous deaths so soon within the ruling party.

Senator Tchuetchue Mbokouoko’s death creates a casual vacancy in the Senate that will be filled by the ruling party.

The Secretary General of the CPDM Central Committee was quoted as saying that his heart is “broken” by the news.

Senator Tchuetchue had a long career behind the scenes of the CPDM party enriching himself at the detriment of his people before being elected to represent Bamboutos at the 2023 senatorial election.

By Fon Lawrence

Cameroon Intelligence Report sources deep inside the Unity Palace believe the Minister of Justice Laurent Esso is being treated for cancer in India.

Laurent Esso is in very ill-health and is receiving treatment for cancer, according to three of our Etoudi informants.

“Esso is very sick… and he’s going to die soon,” an aide from the office of the Minister-Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic told Cameroon Intelligence Report.

Additional sources from the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court of Cameroon also claimed to have access to a comprehensive assessment of Minister Laurent Esso’s health.

Cameroon Intelligence Report assessments also suggest that Esso’s family took the India option because it is cheaper after the presidency blatantly refused him an air ambulance to France.

One of our top informants in the nation’s capital Yaoundé said Laurent Esso’s power like his boss President Biya is strong but no longer absolute.

“The nasty treatment dished out to Laurent Esso at the Nsimalen International Airport is an indication that the end is near for the Biya regime” our source furthered.

Minister Laurent Esso’s health has been under close scrutiny after months of speculation that the Biya acolyte has been refused permission to seek treatment abroad.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

A tragic accident occurred on January 29, 2025, at Carrefour Meec, in Yaoundé’s 6th district, when a poorly secured shipping container detached from a truck and crushed a taxi carrying four people, including the driver. According to preliminary but unofficial reports, two passengers lost their lives in the incident.

Images circulating on social media show the taxi completely crushed under the weight of the container. Firefighters used specialized equipment to lift the container and recover the victims’ bodies, which were trapped inside the vehicle.

This accident comes just three months after a similar tragedy in Mimboman, on October 17, 2024, when another fallen container killed three people and seriously injured nine others, according to official figures. In response, the Governor of the Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea, issued a decree banning heavy trucks—including trailers, fuel tankers, and timber transporters—from using the Mimboman-Don Bosco-Ngousso road until further notice.

The circulation of heavy-duty trucks, often linked to fatal accidents, remains a major challenge for authorities. Despite restrictions, enforcement has been weak. In light of the rising number of freight transport-related accidents, Transport Minister Jean Ernest Masséna Ngalle Bibehe has ordered the installation of a centralized tracking system in all trucks carrying goods or hazardous materials. Initially, transport operators were required to comply by December 31, 2024, but following requests from unions, the deadline was extended by three months, until March 31, 2025.

Source: Sbbc

Data from the Ministry of Public Works reveals that the Northwest region of Cameroon has the smallest paved road network in the country. It consists of 238 km of national roads, 106 km of regional roads, and 157 km of municipal roads, totalling 501 km of paved roads for a land area of 17,300 square kilometres.

The Southwest region fares similarly, with a total area of 25,000 square kilometres and 647 km of paved roads – 471 km of national roads, 33 km of regional roads, and 143 km of municipal roads.

In contrast, the neighbouring West region, which covers 13,892 square kilometres, has a total of 1,080 km of paved roads, including 338 km of national roads, 328 km of regional roads, and 404 km of municipal roads.

The Centre region boasts the most extensive paved road network, spanning 2,273 km, with 1,231 km of national roads, 447 km of regional roads, and 595 km of municipal roads. The Littoral region ranks second with 1,112 km of paved roads.

The East region, the largest in the country with an area of 109,000 square kilometres, has a paved road network of 827 km. Meanwhile, the Far North region has 729 km of paved roads, the North 802 km, Adamawa 803 km, and the South 1,687 km.

Source: Sbbc

Cameroon’s Directorate General of Customs (DGD) collected CFA1,055.9 billion in budget revenue by the end of 2024, reaching 96.5% of its revised target of CFA1,094.9 billion. This was revealed in a statement released on January 28, 2025, by the customs administration’s communication department, following the celebration of International Customs Day on January 26.

While revenue increased by CFA33.3 billion compared to the CFA1,022.6 billion collected in 2023, customs still fell CFA39 billion short of its 2024 target. According to the DGD, global geopolitical conflicts were a major factor behind this shortfall, with repeated attacks on ships in the Red Sea disrupting maritime transport and causing costly route diversions that affected cargo deliveries.

Despite these global challenges, Cameroon’s customs revenue has exceeded CFA1 trillion for the second consecutive year. For 2025, the administration has set a new revenue target of CFA1,144 billion.

Source: Business in Cameroon