Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
Laurent Esso, a key figure of the Biya regime, now 83, has seen his health deteriorate in recent months and according to Jeune Afrique, the Minister of Justice has finally been authorised to leave the country in order to receive medical treatment abroad. A source close to the government, contacted by Jeune Afrique, confirms: “Concerning Minister of State Laurent Esso, I can confirm that he has gone abroad for medical reasons and has travelled on a commercial flight”.
This authorisation from the Presidency comes after several months of waiting for this prominent figure of the Yaoundé regime. His state of health began deteriorating over the last months, particularly after he fell ill during the National Unity Day celebrations in Yaoundé on 20 May. Since then, he has not attended any public events. The all-powerful Minister of Justice, nicknamed “The Cat”, was absent at the Unity Palace on 10 January, during the New Year’s greetings ceremony to the Head of State. But even before he was equally absent on 27 December 2024, at the funeral of Habissou Bidoung, the wife of his counterpart, Pierre Ismael Bidoung Mkpatt.
Born on 10 August 1942 in Douala, Laurent Esso has served in several governments (Yang II, III and IV, as well as the Dion Ngute administration), in which he has headed several ministries since 1996. The magistrate became Minister of Justice again on 9 December 2011, a position he still holds till date.
