As reported by Edmond Tambe for alafnet.com:
The Roman Catholic church is one of the oldest political bodies in existence. She has no shortage of tactics to wash her hands off accusations. Fingers began pointing to Rome when the pope made a quick transfer of the papal ambassador in Yaounde, Mgr Piero Pioppo just three days after the discovery of the deceased bishop’s body, Bishop Jean Benoît Bala had just sent his findings on pedophilia activities by Cameroonian government officials to the Vatican via the Apostolic Nuncio in Yaounde who should be an integral part of the investigation but has been transferred to far away Indonesia. The Vatican has recently used billions of dollars from alms-giving by poor mentally-enslaved Africans, to settle cases of pedophilia predominantly in the Western world.
Rome, through its Bishops Meeting days ago, at the headquarters of the national episcopal conference in Mvolyé Yaoundé demanded a full report on the death of the Bishop of the diocese of Bafia in centre region of Cameroon, according to reports. It is now easy for the religious body to put the focus on the Cameroonian government since many officials in the government had warned the deceased bishop to stop his investigation.
Bishop JM BALA disappeared 31 of May and his body was found Friday 2 of June.. An autopsy conducted on the Bishop’s lifeless body showed clear signs of violent death, and no evidence of death by drowning.
Reports claim the Bishop of the diocese of Bafia’s death may be linked to his plans to expose the government’s involvement in the death of a priest. According to Cameroon media outfit L’Anecdote, which purportedly obtained a confidential autopsy report Monday, the Bishops’s body showed clear signs of torture and murder. The leaked document reveals details of a medical examination conducted by a committee of doctors, one appointed by the national bishops’ conference. The formal conclusions declare that Bala did not commit suicide, as previously thought, but rather that he was killed and thrown into the Sanaga River only four hours before his body was found Friday.
The bishop’s body was discovered by a Malian fisherman not far from a bridge where his car had been found, with a note saying, “I am in the water.” Initially it was believed it was a suicide note, but as investigation unfolded, many started questioning if the bishop himself had written the note.The deceased shoe worn on opposite sides as shown on the photo below:
Monsignor Jean-Marie Benoît BALA death brings to number four Roman Catholic Church bishops assassinated in Africa, three from the Republic of Cameroon and one in the Republic of Congo Brazzaville.
Cardinal Emile Biayenda was executed on 23 March 1977 by the ruling junta in the Congo Brazzaville.
In Cameroon bishop Jean Nkunu, was assassinated in Mbalmeyo in 1983.
On September 3, 1991 another Bishop Yves Plume was strangled to death in his room in Ngaoundéré at the Minor Seminary in Garoua. and last June 2, 2017 saw the assassination and desecration of the body of Bishop Jean-Marie Benoit Balla,Bishop of Bafia.
Also in Cameroon, priests of the Catholic Church have suffered a number of suspicious deaths over the years:
In October 1988, Fr. Joseph Mbassi, a journalist, was murdered while investigating the arms trade in Cameroon. His body was found in his room bloodied and mangled on the morning of October 26.
Abbot Bernabé Zambo of the archdiocese of Bertoua died on March 24, 1989. Media speculate he was poisoned by someone as an act of revenge.
Father Anthony Fontegh of Kumbo was murdered in 1990.
In 1992, Fr. Amougou of Sangmelima was killed in his rectory.
On April 23, 1995, Fr. Engelbert Mveng was found strangled to death with a gash in his head, and no items stolen from his room.
On April 21, 2001, Fr. Apollinaire Claude Ndi of Nkoltob was found murdered by an unknown man in Yaoundé.
On Christmas Eve, 2008, Fr. François Xavier Mekong’s body was discovered in one of the showers of the rectory.
In June 2017 Fr Augustine Ndi parish priest of Nguti murdered in his room In the South West Region.
