Hundreds of mourners, including priests and bishops were at the Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport June 6, 2019 to receive the corpse of the Minister Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary who died on May 8, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.

After a funeral service at the Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport in the presence of top state functionaries, the remains of the diplomat were taken to Zoetelé. A mass was said at the Saint Marguerite Church in Zoetele.

This Friday, the remains will be taken to Nkilzok where a mass will be said in the afternoon at the Saint John Paul II Sanctuary before a pontifical high mass previewed for the evening will culminate in a wake.

The mortal remains of Minister Belinga Eboutou will be swallowed by the soils of Nkilzok on Saturday, June 8, 2019 in strict family privacy.

Aged 79, Belinga Eboutou was born on February 17, 1940 and died on May 8, 2019 in a Swiss Hospital. He met with President Paul Biya in their childhood days at the seminary from where their friendship bonded into loyalty and fidelity.

Only recently after leaving office, Martin Belinga Eboutou made a last public appearance amongst members of his CPDM party during the 7th October presidential election campaign.

He was a graduate, respectively, of the Académie de Droit International and the Institute International D’administration Publique de Paris, France.

Many considered him the face of the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon. The trained diplomat served at the Presidency in many capacities; the most envious being his position as Chief of State Protocol and Director of Civil Cabinet.

As Chief of State Protocol (1989 – 1997) at the Presidency of the Republic, Martin Belinga Eboutou incarnated elegance. The well-trimmed, tall and soft-spoken officer was almost permanently in a tailcoat.

His well synchronized footsteps especially during official ceremonies won the admiration of many.

As Director of Civil Cabinet, (2009 – 2018) the son of Nkilzok Zoetelé, South Region was no less a genius. He was the one closest to President Paul Biya.

Belinga Eboutou used his training in diplomacy to boost the dignity of the State House. In doing so, he made many friends and like any human being, many enemies too. This may well account for the social buzz surrounding his funeral.

Like him or not, Martin Belinga Eboutou was a discreet man who incarnated nobility. When in March 2018 he was replaced, many attributed his departure to his failing health.

Each of President Paul Biya’s official outing without Martin Belinga Eboutou reminded admirers of those good old days with “the aristocrat”.