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Catholic bishops in Cameroon made a spectacular media outing on Thursday during which they asserted in very strong terms that their brother Benoit Balla had been "brutally murdered."
The day before they had issued a written document containing the message which they presented during the news conference.
They urged government to shed light on the mystery as soon as possible.
Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Balla was found dead along the banks of River Sanaga after reportedly going missing for about three days at the end of last month and the beginning of this month.
Preliminary investigation reports suggested that it was a case of murder, not suicide.
The declaration of catholic bishops comes at a time when investigation is on going. If the 'competent' investigation team proves the contrary, there will be chaos on both sides.
The bishops will have to give enough evidence to substantiate their claims.
The servants of God had simply asserted equivocally that their brother was brutally murdered. They failed to say who murdered the bishop, and how.
On the other hand, the government of Cameroon will have its reputation further tarnished, even beyond repair. Investigations in the country are almost always controversial.
Sometimes, the results are never published at all. That suggests why the report of the investigation on the Eseka train derailment was considered a historic attempt by government to shake off the mystery of governance in the country.
But it was not void of controversy, after all.
This declaration is therefore insinuating that investigators shift their target from possible murder findings to attempts uncover the mask on the 'murderer(s)' and the methods used.
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- Rita Akana
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Bishops of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon have called the government to fish out the masterminds behind the dramatic disappearance and subsequent death of the Bishop of Bafia, Jean Marie Benoit Balla.
Following a stormy extra ordinary session on Tuesday June 13, the Bishop made their minds clearly known in a communiqué signed by the President , Samuel Kleda Wednesday June 14. The prelates unanimously confirmed that the Bishop of Bafia was "brutally assassinated, " what they described as "...one more murder and one far too much." The Bishop did not commit suicide as earlier claimed as according to the body, the corpse did not reflect a suicide stricken one.
Government has been called to hasten up investigations over his tragic demise of the Bishop. The grieving men of God in their communiqué did not fail to cite the previous cases of church leaders who have departed under mysterious circumstances within the last 30 years. Mgr Jean Kounou, Vicar General of Mbalmayo, Marterne Bikoa, Barnabe Zambo, Joseph Mbasi, Yves Plumey, Engelbert Mveng, and many others were evoked .
The Episcopal Council has called on the press and social media users to shun falsehood, defamation and respect the dignity , truth and decency in the treatment of information .
The burial arrangements of the late Bishop will be made known in the days ahead.
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Arch Bishop Emeritus of the Douala Diocese ,Christian Cardinal Tumi says the recent developments against the religious body in the country instead strengthens his faith. In an exclusive interview with "THE RAMBLER" , the outspoken cleric reveals the death of Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Balla and the ongoing trial of Anglophone Church leaders doesn't puts him in any position of fear. "I am Convinced what i say is for the good of all, and that is a mission." he says.
Reacting the developments emanating from the death of the Bishop of Bafia, Tumi dismissed claims that the fallen prelate had written several letters to the Apostolic Nuncio since to him the latter is yet to acknowledge reception of such documents. He described the late Bishop as who was virtuous and frank . He reasoned logically and arrived at conclusion everyone accepted even if everybody did not agree with him.
To him the church does not attach importance to the investigation of the death of church leaders . "You can do anything and even if you discover as was the case with ¨Pope John Paul II who was shot at, the criminal was known and after that he was forgiven. " the firebrand critic argued.
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The Vatican has appointed Bishop Abraham Kome, Bishop of Bafang, as the new apostolic administrator of the diocese of Bafia.The appointment was made known to the public on
Tuesday June 6, 2017.Bishop Abraham Kome’s appointment, comes barely few days after the murder of Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Balla, whose body was found in river Sanaga, two days after his disappearance.
The autopsy of Mgr Benoit Balla indicates that he was tortured, one of his hands was mutilated and his genital organs were removed and it appears his body was electrocuted. The French daily newspaper, L'Anecdote and France-based RFI, quoted the final autopsy report as stating that the corpse of Mgr Balla was in the Sanaga river for no longer than four (4) hours, even though the corpse was found three days after he disappeared. This confirms accounts by villagers of Tsang, who reported hearing the roaring sound of an helicopter in the wee hours of Friday morning hovering over the river around the area where the corpse was recovered.
The autopsy cited the physical state of the corpse; the absence of water in his lungs; amongst others contradicts possibility of suicide by drowning especially as the corpse was found floating. The autopsy was performed by a college of medics comprising two professors of medicines; three specialist doctors and one specialist designated by Archbishop Kleda, President of the National Episcopal Council. Now that the autopsy report is out, the question remains: who killed Mgr Balla and why? Accusing fingers are pointing to the anus-expanding fraternity that controls the seat of power in Etoudi.
Biography of Bishop Abraham KOME
Born on July 2, 1969 in Loum, in the Littoral region of Cameroon and originating from the department of Mbam and Inoubou in the central region, Bishop Abraham KOME was christened on May 26, 2012 as the Bishop of the recently created diocese Of Bafang in the Western Region of Cameroon.
After his primary and secondary education at ST. Peter and Paul College in Loum, he was admitted into the seminary and was ordained priest on December 11, 1999 in Nkongsamba.
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- Rita Akana
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At the same time, Cameroonians have been wondering why the Apostolic Nuncio in Yaounde, Mgr Piero Pioppo who should be an integral part of the investigation into Mgr Balla's death has been transferred to far away Indonesia.
Mgr Balla is reported to have written an explosive letter to the Nuncio following the mysterious death of Fr. Armel Djama, rector of the minor seminary in Bafia; who died on May 10. The letter is said to have attributed the death of Fr. Djama to unseen hands at the Presidency.
The grapevine is quoting eye-witnesses from the village of Tsang recalling the sound of an helicopter in the wee hours of Thursday, breaking Friday morning, "dropping a package" in the area of the Sanaga river where Mgr Balla's corpse was spotted and eventually recovered.
With all these conspiracy theories, Cameroonians need to read Mgr Balla's letter, especially as the case is now being investigated as homicide.
The night watchman has given contradictory information to the police about what Mgr Balla told him when he opened the gate. But it is obvious Mgr Balla could not have left his residence at 11:00 pm, unless to honor a request made by some very important personality.
Was he responding to a call from the Nuncio or the Presidency?
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- Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai
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The man of God who was surrounded by many other clergy could not control his emotions when he addressed the huge number of Christians who had broken police barricades to enter the Buea court yard to show their unwavering support to the persecuted servant of God. The Christians who tarried at the court premises all through did not just stay behind watching but engaged in divers prayer sessions in the open air.
Amongst them, some where praying and crying others where kneeling and many where laying flat on the ground seeking the God's intervention in the case. While leaving the court room, the PCC moderator saw this and had no option rather than weeping. Must Christians have likened this act of to that of Jesus at the grave of Lazarus in John 11/35, where Jesus wept due to the plight of the people. The plaintiff never showed up in court and the main judge opted for another unended series of adjournment for the 24th of July 2017.
The faithfuls gave their Shepherd Rev Fonki, a hilarious escort with songs of victory as they left the court yard. The case was brought against the moderator of the pcc by a so called consortium of parents.
They filed a complaint against him for collecting school fees from them and later on shutting his doors at the apex of the anglophone crisis.
The bishops and leaders of the Baptist churches in the country have all been dragged to court by this same purported consortium of parents.
The court sessions are taking place simultaneously with Bamenda. The situation in Bamenda almost turned violent as Christians and security forces clashed in the court yard.
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- Rita Akana
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