Recent weeks have seen a wave of disclosures on highly sensitive matters in Cameroon, coming notably from two figures who once held key strategic security posts: Maxime Eko Eko, former head of the DGRE, and Captain Effoudou, a former intelligence chief at the president’s military staff.
According to their statements, a coup attempt was allegedly being prepared against President Paul Biya in 2023.
During a recent court hearing in the Martinez Zogo trial, Maxime Eko Eko reportedly said he was arrested shortly after submitting a report to the president about this alleged coup plot.
Three years after Martinez Zogo’s death and the events described by the former DGRE chief, these details are now becoming public.
Observers note a curious timing: these revelations come amid a gradual tightening of control over the security and military apparatus, with new generals appointed, shifts in military justice, and changes in the armed forces’ logistics chain.
The Maxime Eko Eko case: victim or holder of sensitive information?
As former head of the DGRE, Maxime Eko Eko held one of the most strategic positions in Cameroon’s security establishment.
The circumstances of his arrest, as emerging from recent court proceedings, raise questions. He was reportedly detained just after handing over a report on an alleged plot to destabilise the government. A week later, a source close to the security apparatus claimed he would soon be released.
Three years on, he remains behind bars.
Some observers suggest this could be a deliberate move to let details about the Martinez Zogo case and the alleged coup attempt surface gradually through judicial processes. This is, of course, a political interpretation that has yet to be proven.
Captain Effoudou directly implicates the SGPR
Unlike the former DGRE chief, Captain Effoudou, in an interview with Morgan Palmer, reportedly named a figure he claims was involved in the coup attempt: the Secretary-General of the Presidency (SGPR).
This is a very serious accusation, raising a key question: If the SGPR was truly implicated and intelligence services informed President Paul Biya, how is it that he later entrusted him with such strategic responsibilities?
The SGPR notably oversaw consultations at the presidential palace ahead of the presidential election and reportedly played a key role in managing the post-election crisis.
More recently, his name has come up in discussions about creating a vice-president position.
Guilty or victim?
This context may explain why some are puzzled by the apparent trust the head of state continues to place in him.
The recent reshuffles in the security and military apparatus are fuelling speculation about a possible reconfiguration of power around President Paul Biya.
Some see the early signs of an institutional transition that could eventually lead to a vice-president role, tasked with stepping in if the head of state is unable to serve—and possibly finishing the presidential term.
For now, none of these hypotheses is officially confirmed.
One thing is certain: Paul Biya remains the master of Cameroon’s political game, and upcoming developments at the top of the state may clarify the real meaning behind these moves.
In recent days, social media has been flooded with photos of Franck Biya showing his role as a devoted father with his children.
Albin Michel Njilo
Construire Ensemble
