Tributes pour in for Justice Ayah Paul following his passing ⁰

Tributes from public figures have poured in following the announcement of the death of Paul Ayah Abine, a magistrate and politician, on December 24, 2024. He passed away after a prolonged illness at the regional hospital in Buea.

“The African Peoples Union (UPA), a party dedicated to authentic Pan-Africanism, pays a vibrant tribute to a patriot resolutely committed to an unrelenting quest for social justice, freedom, and dignity for the Cameroonian people,” wrote barrister Jean Guy Zogo, the party’s president.

In a statement on his Facebook account, Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), hailed Ayah Abine as a “fearless fighter for freedom and human rights, a man of deep convictions firmly attached to democracy, which he believed in to the very end.” Kamto described him as a direct victim of the civil conflict that has engulfed Cameroon’s Anglophone regions for the past eight years. He added that the late Ayah Abine “was a moderate voice advocating for an inclusive national dialogue to resolve the civil war imposed on our country.”

Professor Edouard Bokagne, Historian and head of the history department at the University of Yaoundé 1, remarked: “The death of Justice Paul Ayah Abine prompts reflection on the untapped potential of a man who could have significantly contributed to Cameroon had his talents been fully utilized.” Bokagne noted that Ayah Abine had a deep understanding of the crisis affecting the Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest Cameroon, with “a profound insight into these societies and a clear vision for addressing their challenges.”

Born in 1950 in Akwaya (Southwest region), Ayah Abine led a dynamic professional and political life. A graduate of the National School of Administration and Magistracy (Enam), he rose to the position of Advocate General at the Supreme Court. Alongside his judicial career, he pursued politics as a member of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM). He resigned from the CPDM in 2008 after opposing a constitutional amendment that removed presidential term limits, enabling President Paul Biya to seek re-election in 2011. That same year, he ran for president under his newly formed People’s Action Party (PAP), securing 1.26% of the vote.

Portrayed by authorities as a significant figure in the Anglophone crisis that has affected the Northwest and Southwest regions since 2016, Ayah Abine was a strong advocate for federalism. He was arrested in 2017 and spent eight months in Yaoundé Central Prison. Although he stepped back from active politics in 2019, he continued to engage in humanitarian work through his NGO. However, his efforts were met with challenges, as his accounts were frozen for 29 months and his pension benefits were suspended for over 69 months, according to his associates.

Source: Sbbc