Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency, formally notified the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, of President Paul Biya’s decision in a letter dated June 10, 2026.
President Paul Biya has named Laurent Esso, the Minister of Justice, as his personal representative at the funeral of Alexis Dipanda Mouelle, the first-ever President of the Supreme Court. This decision was conveyed through a letter from Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency, addressed to the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, dated June 10, 2026.
The funeral program for Alexis Dipanda Mouelle began on Monday, June 22, and will conclude on Saturday, June 27, 2026. From June 22 to June 24, family gatherings and prayers were held daily from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the family home in the Bastos district of Yaoundé, Cameroon’s political capital. On Thursday, June 25, at 10:00 AM, the body will be taken from the morgue of the Yaoundé General Hospital, followed by a judicial tribute at the Supreme Court.
Bonakou Bwapaki
On Friday, June 26, at 3:00 PM, a mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of Our Lady Queen of the Apostles in Mvolye. The day will conclude with a vigil at the family home. Saturday, June 27, will mark the final leg of the journey, with the funeral procession departing for Bonakou-Bwapaki, the late magistrate’s hometown. A stop is planned at the family estate in Bonakouamouang, near Akwa in Douala, followed by a final vigil. Burial will take place the same day.
Alexis Dipanda Mouelle was a distinguished Cameroonian magistrate who left a lasting legacy in the country’s judicial and political history as the first President of the Supreme Court, serving from 1990 to 2014. Born on March 25, 1942, in Bonakou-Bwapaki, Littoral Region, he passed away on May 4, 2026, at the age of 84.
Daniel Mekobe Sone
A graduate of the University of Paris, he joined the Cameroonian judiciary in 1965. He steadily rose through the ranks, becoming Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice in 1975. In 1986, he was appointed head of the Supreme Court (later formally titled First President), a position he held for 24 years until his retirement on December 31, 2014. He was succeeded by Daniel Mekobe Sone.
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