2, August 2017
Bishop Bala Funeral: Biya regime deploys heavily armed soldiers to Bafia 0
Troops from the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR have been deployed to Bafia for the funeral ceremony of the late Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala. The late Bishop started his last journey yesterday evening with prayers, meditation and religious rites.
The decision to send soldiers to Bafia was made when information filtered that some Christians of the Bafia Diocese were preparing a violent anti government demonstration to demand a clear explanation on the killing of the Prelate.
Meanwhile, there has been a slight modification in the original program made by the Diocese. The new program certainly from Douala indicates that the funeral convoy will make a stop at the Sanaga Bridge, where the Late Bishop’s car was parked, with the alleged suicide note “I am in the water”.
The new program below reads:
Today Wednesday 2nd August 2017
Removal of the Corpse from the Yaounde General Hospital Mortuary at 9 a.m
Mass at the Our Lady of Victory Cathedral in Yaounde
Departure for Bafia
Arrival of the remains of the Prelate at the Ebebda Bridge via Balamba and Ombessa
Arrival at the entrance of Bafia town in a slowdown funeral procession
Laying in state at the Bafia Cathedral
First mass at 6 p.m. Mass after every three hours (9 p.m, midnight, 3 a.m and 6a.m)
Tomorrow Thursday 3rd August 2017
Requiem mass at 10 a.m
Burial
Source: Cameroon Info.Net
28, August 2017
Bafia: Huge amount of blood found on the tomb of late Bishop Jean Marie Bala 0
A French Cameroun radio has reported that a huge amount of blood was found in the Saint Sebastian Cathedral in Bafia precisely on the tomb of the late Bishop Jean Marie Benoît Bala in the early hours of Monday the 28th of August 2017.
Radio Balafon emitting from Douala, also observed that the blood was sprayed on the altar of the cathedral and on the steps leading to the area commonly called the Bishop’s chair and on the table that bears the golden book and on the tomb of Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala.
A source in Bafia who confirmed the happenings to Cameroon Concord News, further pointed out that security forces and the state Prosecutor were summoned by Roman Catholic authorities to witness the scene. We understand, some samples of the discovered blood were collected and have been taken to Yaoundé for medical examination.
Local residents say it could be a ritual that was done in the night. The vicar of the Bafia Diocese had the blood on the altar cleaned before Eucharistic celebrations this morning. The parish priest on leave was called back urgently on this subject.
Bishop Jean Benoit Bala was declared missing on the 31st of May 2017 and was found dead three days later in the Sanaga River. The circumstances surrounding his death at the age of 58 are being investigated. In addition to this, another investigation is currently being conducted for the death of the rector of the Bafia minor seminary, Armel Djama who was killed 10 days before Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala.
By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from CIN