Cameroonn:Anglophones Play Second fiddle at Supreme Court

By Christopher Ambe

The Presidential appointments of new members of the Supreme Court, who last January 30, took the oath of office in Yaoundé, have angered the Anglophone community, who see their marginalization in them.

Hon.Justice Ayah Paul

      No Anglophone heads a service and even those appointed are all serving as assistants, no matter how qualified they may be.

With Alexis Dipanda Mouelle retired after 26 years as President of Cameroon’s Supreme Court, the Anglophone Community-believing in power alternation/equation, expected that the new Supreme Court President should be one of theirs.

      But it is another Francophone, Daniel Mekobe Sone appointed as Dipanda Mouelle’s replacement. It is also another Francophone,Luc Ndjondo ,who is the replacement of the retired Procureur-General (Attorney-General) of the Republic, Martin Rissouck A Moulong

     Many have wondered why, for instance, Justice Ayah Paul, who is senior in grade to Luc Ndjondo,was not appointed as Procureur-General.but justice Ayah was instead appointed as one of the several Advocates-General(Deputy Attorneys-General).

      Just as in the past, the other new heads of the Supreme Court’s different sections are all Francophones.They are President of the Audit Bench,Marck Ateba Ombala; President of the Judicial Bench,Bisteck Dagobert;President of Administrative Bench, Andre Belombe.

      Before their swearing-in, it was hoped that President Biya, as Head of the Judiciary in Cameroon, would sign another decree adjusting some of the appointments, since seniority counts very much in the judicial corps but many were surprised that his appointments remained  unchanged.

(First published in The RECORDER Newspaper,Cameroon,of February 2,2015)