Cameroon appoints Lieutenant Colonel Cerlin Belinga as deputy head of Maroua military court

Lieutenant Colonel Cerlin Belinga is leaving Cameroon’s military court in Yaoundé for a new post in the Far North, where he will serve as deputy president and investigating judge at the Maroua military court.

The appointment came in a presidential decree dated Aug. 31, 2026. Belinga had served as government commissioner at the Yaoundé military court, including during proceedings linked to the killing of Martinez Zogo, the head of Amplitude FM. The trial is currently hearing witnesses.

Lieutenant Colonel Éric Atemengue Omgba will replace Belinga as government commissioner in Yaoundé. Lieutenant Colonel Brice Josué Onana was appointed deputy government commissioner there.

The transfer has prompted questions about whether it represents a sanction. The account instead notes that Belinga’s new position gives him greater responsibility and makes him the court’s second-ranking official as well as an investigating judge. The case is expected to continue under his successor after the latter reviews the files.

The decree also named officers to military courts elsewhere in Cameroon. Major Mokete Roland Makamba became investigating judge in Bamenda, while Squadron Leader Yaya Hassan was appointed deputy president and investigating judge in Bertoua. Squadron Leader Mukum Tifuh Immaculate became government commissioner in Ebolowa, and Lieutenant Sadam Hamadou became deputy government commissioner in Garoua.