Laurent Esso

Laurent Esso
Cameroon Minister of State Minister of Justice Keeper of Seal
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 December 2011
President	Paul Biya
Prime Minister	Philémon Yang
Preceded by	Amadou Ali
Minister of State Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic
In office 22 Septembre 2006 – 8 December 2011
President	Paul Biya
Prime Minister	Ephraïm Inoni Philémon Yang
Succeeded by	Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh
Minister of External Relations
In office 8 December 2004 – 21 September 2006
President	Paul Biya
Prime Minister	Ephraïm Inoni
Personal details
Born	(1942-08-10) 10 August 1942 (age 82) Douala (Cameroon)
Political party	CPDM
Alma mater	University of Yaoundé ENAM
Profession	Magistrate

Laurent Esso (born August 10, 1942^[1]) is a Cameroonian politician who is currently serving in Joseph Ngute's government.

Esso held a succession of key posts under President Paul Biya since 1988. He served in the government of Cameroon as Minister of Justice from 1996 to 2000, Minister of Public Health from 2000 to 2001, Minister of Defense from 2001 to 2004, and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2006. Subsequently, Esso was Secretary-General of the Presidency, with the rank of Minister of State, from September 2006 to December 2011. He has again served as Minister of Justice since December 2011.^[2]

Biography

An ethnic Sawa, Esso was born at Douala. He was a magistrate and subsequently worked as Chancellor of the University of Yaoundé.^[3]

Esso left his post at the University of Yaoundé when President Paul Biya appointed him as Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidency^[4] on May 16, 1988.^[5] Considered a "reform-minded technocrat",^[6] Esso spent less than a year as Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidency before Biya instead appointed him as Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency on April 13, 1989. Esso remained Director of the Civil Cabinet for seven years; he was then appointed Minister of Justice in the government named on September 19, 1996. On March 18, 2000, he was moved from his position as Justice Minister to that of Minister of Public Health;^[5] after one year in the latter position, he was appointed Minister-Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense on April 27, 2001.^[7][8] In the government named on December 8, 2004, he was instead appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, in which position he remained until he was appointed Minister of State and Secretary-General of the Presidency on September 22, 2006.^[5]

Noted for his quiet discretion and firm loyalty to Paul Biya, Esso is considered to be one of Biya's most trusted and powerful associates.^[3] According to one analysis, Esso had "a reputation for technocratic competence and integrity" that distinguished him in the Biya regime.^[9] He is a member of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement^[1] and was a member of the National Commission for the coordination of Biya's election campaign in the October 2004 presidential election.^[10]

After holding the key post of Secretary-General of the Presidency for five years, Esso was instead appointed to his former post as Minister of Justice on 9 December 2011.^[11][12]

On February 14, 2023, the government commissioner of the military tribunal requested an additional investigation from the State Secretariat for Defense (SED), in the case of Martinez Zogo, a journalist kidnapped on January 17, 2023 and whose lifeless body was found five days later, on the outskirts of Yaoundé. The military court requested the hearing of Laurent Esso in this case.^[13]

References

1. "Le gouvernement du Cameroun, Formé le 7 décembre 1997, après l'éléction présidentielle" Archived 2007-09-12 at the Wayback Machine, Afrique Express (in French).
2. "Rétro - CELCOM MINJUSTICE". Ministry of Justice of Cameroon. 29 May 2024. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024.
3. "Les 50 qui font le Cameroun: Laurent Esso", Jeune Afrique, 27 April 2009 (in French).
4. West Africa (1988), page 1,280.
5. Cameroonian government site: "Recherche des gouvernements-Le portail du gouvernement". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-03. "Recherche des gouvernements-Le portail du gouvernement". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-03. "Recherche des gouvernements-Le portail du gouvernement". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-03. "Recherche des gouvernements-Le portail du gouvernement". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-03. "Recherche des gouvernements-Le portail du gouvernement". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-03. "Recherche des gouvernements-Le portail du gouvernement". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
6. Joseph Takougang, "The Demise of Biya's New Deal in Cameroon, 1982–1992", in The Leadership Challenge in Africa: Cameroon under Paul Biya (2004), ed. John Mukum Mbaku and Joseph Takougang, page 105.
7. "Remaniement ministériel: Le coup de tête du Président !", Cameroon-info.net, April 30, 2001 (in French).
8. Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social, and Cultural Series, volume 38 (2001), page 14,400.
9. Africa Analysis, issues 338–348 (2000), page 40.
10. "President Paul Biya selects campaign team" Archived 2007-06-10 at archive.today, 2004 presidential election website.
11. "Cameroon's president forms new gov't of 37 ministers", Xinhua, 10 December 2011.
12. Clarisse Juompan-Yakam, "Remaniement au Cameroun : quand Paul Biya rebat les cartes du gouvernement", Jeune Afrique, 12 December 2011 (in French).
13. "Affaire Martinez Zogo : vers une audition de Laurent Esso pour clarifier la version de Justin Danwe ? – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-15.

External links

• Cameroon's Higher Judicial Council paralysed by tensions between Ngoh Ngoh and Esso, Africa Intelligence, September 7, 2023 (requires free registration)