Tribunal Ekounou: Declares Incompetent in Willy Mengue MRC Référé

• The Tribunal de première instance de Yaoundé-Ekounou declared itself incompetent to rule in summary proceedings on September 17, 2026.
• The case was brought by Willy Mengue, Laure Noutchang, and Sébastien Mbala Wouria II against the Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun (MRC).
• Applicants sought an ad hoc judicial administrator and challenged Maurice Kamto's return to MRC leadership in December 2025.
• The court agreed with the MRC's defense and the Ministry Public that a summary judge could not address serious internal party disputes.
• This ruling ends the specific summary procedure but does not resolve the underlying substantive governance issues within the MRC, which is currently holding internal elections with three presidential candidates.

The court's agreement with these arguments underscores a critical legal principle: summary proceedings are generally reserved for urgent matters where the facts are not seriously disputed, and not for complex questions of internal party governance or leadership legitimacy.

The Tribunal de première instance de Yaoundé-Ekounou delivered a significant ruling on September 17, 2026, declaring itself without jurisdiction in the `Affaire Willy Mengue MRC`. This decision concerned summary proceedings initiated by Willy Mengue, alongside Laure Noutchang and Sébastien Mbala Wouria II, against the Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun (MRC). The court specifically found itself `incompétent` to adjudicate the matter under the expedited `référé` procedure.

The applicants had sought judicial intervention to address what they perceived as irregularities within the opposition party. Their primary demands included the appointment of an ad hoc judicial administrator, whose mandate would be to "normalize" the MRC's internal operations. Furthermore, the plaintiffs challenged the circumstances surrounding Maurice Kamto's re-assumption of leadership of the MRC in December 2025, indicating a deeper `contentieux` regarding the party's `gouvernance interne MRC`. This jurisdictional dismissal by the `Tribunal Ekounou` effectively halted the specific legal avenue pursued by Mengue and his co-applicants.

The defense for the Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun had robustly argued against the court's competence, asserting that a summary judge was not equipped to intervene in disputes involving serious contestations related to the internal functioning and `droit des partis politiques Cameroun`. This position was echoed by the Ministry Public, which also recommended that the court declare its `incompétence`. The court's agreement with these arguments underscores a critical legal principle: summary proceedings are generally reserved for urgent matters where the facts are not seriously disputed, and not for complex questions of internal party governance or leadership legitimacy.

Consequently, while the `Tribunal Ekounou incompétent Willy Mengue MRC` ruling brings an end to this particular `référé` action in Yaoundé-Ekounou, it does not resolve the fundamental substantive challenges concerning the MRC's governance. The decision clarifies that such profound internal disagreements require a different, more comprehensive legal process, rather than the swift, preliminary nature of `référé` proceedings. This outcome provides important guidance for individuals or factions seeking to challenge party leadership, indicating that summary jurisdiction is not the appropriate forum for deep-seated internal political disputes.

This judicial development unfolds amidst a crucial period for the Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun, an opposition political entity currently engaged in its own internal electoral process. With Tiriane Balbine Nadège Noah currently serving as interim president, the party is preparing to convene an extraordinary convention on October 17, 2026, to elect its new president, a process that will undoubtedly shape its future direction. The `Affaire Willy Mengue MRC` and the subsequent jurisdictional ruling highlight the internal pressures and divisions within the party as it approaches this significant leadership transition.

Three distinct lists are currently vying for the party's top leadership position. These lists are headed by Brice Ronnic Djolako, Tiriane Nadège Noah, and Pierre Emmanuel Binyam, respectively, indicating a competitive race for control of the party. The `Yaoundé-Ekounou référé incompétence` decision, while procedural, occurs against this backdrop of intense internal political activity, suggesting that the underlying issues of `gouvernance interne MRC` remain highly relevant and potentially unresolved through other means, even as the party moves forward with its electoral calendar.

This ruling clarifies that summary proceedings (référé) before the Tribunal d'Ekounou are not the appropriate avenue for resolving serious internal governance disputes within political parties. Lawyers advising political entities or individuals challenging party leadership should note these jurisdictional limitations and consider alternative legal avenues for substantive challenges.

Source: Original reporting via Actu Cameroun