Cameroon constitutional council member Bah Oumarou Sanda dies at 86

Bah Oumarou Sanda, a veteran Cameroonian magistrate and diplomat, died on Friday in Yaoundé at the age of 86. Born on 10 May 1940 in Garoua, he spent decades in the foreign service, notably serving as Cameroon’s ambassador to Chad from 2008 to 2018. In February 2018 he was appointed by President Paul Biya to the newly active Constitutional Council, becoming one of its eleven founding members and serving until his death. His burial was carried out the same day in Yaoundé with a modest ceremony, reflecting traditional customs.

Sanda’s career spanned roles in the national assembly, the judiciary and the diplomatic corps, and he was regarded for his loyalty to state institutions. His passing reduces the number of senior officials who have lived through Cameroon’s post‑independence era and raises questions about renewal within the Council.