The Archdiocese of Yaounde denied on 11 October 2026 that Archbishop Jean Mbarga had publicly demanded sanctions against Abbe Etienne Bakaba, and described the claim circulating online as a manipulation.
In a clarification note issued that Sunday, the archdiocese said the archbishop had not called for sanctions against the priest. It urged social media users to show discernment and to respect the memory of the dead, in a reference to the controversy that preceded the claim.
The claim concerned posts attributed to Abbe Bakaba about the death of Clement Atangana. The archdiocese's note did not set out what sanctions were said to have been demanded, and it did not name the publications that carried the original claim.
On 11 October 2026, Abbe Bakaba preached at a homily in Douala. He said that only death would end the terms of the country's leaders, because change through the ballot box was impossible. "Il n'y a que l'alternance par la mort qui va vous chasser du pouvoir," he said, meaning that only succession by death would remove them from power.
The archdiocese's denial concerns the sanctions claim. It leaves the priest's own remarks, and any response to them from the Church, outside what the note addressed.
Sources
- Actu Cameroun Mgr Jean Mbarga a-t-il demandé des sanctions contre l'Abbé Etienne Bakaba ?
- 237 Actu Mgr Jean Mbarga contre l'abbé Bakaba : L'Église catholique dénonce une manipulation
- Actu Cameroun Abbé Etienne Bakaba: " il n'y a que l'alternance par la mort qui va vous chasser du pouvoir "
- 237 Actu " il n'y a que l'alternance par la mort qui va vous chasser du pouvoir "