Constitutional Council chief dies, eleven figures call for a transition, diesel import costs jump 49% and the IMF keeps risk at high.

Two clocks started ticking in Yaoundé this week. The man who proclaimed the last two presidential results died, leaving the Constitutional Council under an interim president just as eleven prominent Cameroonians publicly called for a constitutional transition. And the cost of keeping diesel at 828 francs a liter jumped again, pushing the budget off target weeks after a new presidential term began. Both clocks run toward December, when MPs' mandates end and the IMF board reviews the economy.

What happened. Clément Atangana, the first president of the Constitutional Council, died in France on Oct 4, aged 85, per Journal du Cameroun and Mimi Mefo Info. Under the Council's rules the oldest member, Prof. Paul Nchoji Nkwi, a former SDF figure, steps in until a presidential decree confirms him or names someone else. No decree had appeared on prc.cm by Oct 9.

Why it matters. The Council proclaims election results and settles constitutional disputes, and Cameroon has elections to hold. MPs' extended mandate runs out on Dec 20 and no convocation of voters has been published. The vacancy also arrived in the same week that eleven public figures, among them Achille Mbembe, Akere Muna and Mimi Mefo, signed an op-ed calling for a constitutional transition led by the Senate president and an election within 120 days. They also attacked the April revision that created an appointed vice-presidency. The government has not responded.

The cost of imported diesel rose from 653.85 francs a liter in July to 974.93 in October, a 49.1% jump, while the pump price in Douala stays frozen at 828. That leaves the state covering 430.30 francs on every liter, up from 109.22 in July, according to price structures analyzed by Investir au Cameroun and Business in Cameroon. Kerosene is subsidized by more than its own pump price.

The result: the 2026 deficit target of 1.7% of GDP is out of reach, and total financing needs stand at 3,104.2 billion francs. The IMF wants an automatic fuel-price mechanism. Raising pump prices in the first year of a new presidential term is a decision Yaoundé has so far chosen not to make.

IMF staff wrapped up a post-financing assessment on Sep 30. Growth was 3.5% in 2025, inflation averaged 2.6% through August, the deficit widened to 2.1% of GDP, and the overall risk of debt distress stays high. The board reviews it in December. There is no new program on the table.

Two days later President Paul Biya signed decrees authorizing a €347.5 million World Bank loan for the Douala-Bangui economic corridor and a €212.4 million Islamic Development Bank deal for the Douala-Bafoussam road. Together that is about 367.2 billion francs. Financial Afrik's headline said Yaoundé is braving currency risk. Public debt was 15,607 billion francs, 44.2% of GDP, at the end of June.

The media regulator, the CNC, suspended private broadcaster Vision 4 for a month on Sep 29. An administrative court stayed the sanction on Oct 1, the communication minister asked Canal+ to restore the channel, and it was back on air on Oct 5. On Oct 6 the CNC demanded the signal be cut again, then reversed itself the same evening.

Jeune Afrique, quoted by camer.be, reports that the prime minister received the CNC hours before the reversal and that the director of the Civil Cabinet pushed the minister to act. That account is unconfirmed. The sanctioned report concerned the Martinez Zogo murder trial, which keeps the case politically live.

In Maroua, the territorial administration and defense ministers decided on Sep 29 to revive community vigilante committees in the Far North, citing a worsening security situation. State daily Cameroon Tribune blames recent Boko Haram incursions on recruitment of Cameroonian fighters and weakening cooperation. Crisis Group counted at least 15 civilians killed in Madegwa on Sep 16-17.

In Bamenda on Oct 5, minister Paul Atanga Nji said the North-West is "under control" but ordered a 48-hour halt on motorbike sales, saying about 80% of attacks involve motorcycles. Separatists imposed school lockdowns from Sep 7. Both measures put the burden on local economies already hit by farm abandonment.

■  The opposition MRC holds an elective convention on Oct 17 to replace Maurice Kamto, Tiriane Noah versus Pierre Emmanuel Binyam, despite two requests to ban it (Journal du Cameroun).

■  Cameroon and the US signed a health compact worth about $850 million for 2026-2030, with Cameroon co-investing up to $450 million (Investir au Cameroun).

■  The government validated the main arbitrations of its land reform (Journal du Cameroun). Details have not been published.

■  The BEAC held its policy rate at 4.50% on Sep 28 and cut its CEMAC growth forecast to 3.0%. CEMAC ministers postponed the region's 2027 budget (Ecomatin).

■  Banking supervisor COBAC issued 93 sanctions in 2025 and found 18 of 54 banks short of required capital (Ecomatin).

■  Boissons du Cameroun will absorb Guinness Cameroon from Jan 1, 2027, with a 200 billion franc, five-year investment plan (Business in Cameroon).

■  Kribi port handled 555,398 containers in 2025, up 82.4%, and is nearing saturation (Ecomatin). Canyon Resources needs new money for its Minim-Martap bauxite project by December (Investir au Cameroun).

■  Cocoa export earnings fell 63% to 400.9 billion francs ahead of the EU deforestation rules that apply from Dec 30 (Business in Cameroon).

■  The trade minister asked Japan for more investment in local cocoa and coffee processing on Oct 6 (Business in Cameroon).

■  The Indomitable Lions are unbeaten in AFCON 2027 qualifying after beating Comoros 3-1 and drawing 1-1 in Congo, then won a friendly 1-0 in Abidjan (11v11, Koaci).

BEAC Bank of Central African States, the central bank Cameroon shares with five CEMAC neighbors · CEMAC Central African Economic and Monetary Community: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon · CSPH Cameroon's hydrocarbon price stabilization fund, which publishes the monthly fuel price structures · CAA Caisse Autonome d'Amortissement, Cameroon's public debt management office · COBAC Central African Banking Commission, the regional bank supervisor · CNC National Communication Council, Cameroon's media regulator · IsDB Islamic Development Bank · MRC Cameroon Renaissance Movement, an opposition party

Kerosene, the fuel of poorer households, carries the biggest subsidy per liter, more than its own 350 franc pump price. That makes any price reform as much a social decision as a fiscal one.

■  World Bank. €347.5m for the Douala-Bangui corridor, Cameroon's share of a $1.12bn regional program approved in June (Sika Finance).

■  IsDB. €212.4m for 218.9 km of the Bekoko-Bandjoun road in three lots.

■  Eurobond. Journal du Cameroun reports a $300m tap of the 2033 bond to fund projects and domestic arrears. Single-sourced, yield not disclosed.

■  Arrears audit. The finance ministry's audit of 2020-2025 domestic arrears closes for submissions on Oct 31.

■  Capital markets. BGFI Holding's 80.6bn franc capital increase on the regional BVMAC closes Oct 15.

■  Sugar. The suspended sale of Sosucam faces new uncertainty after a Singapore court ruling in the Castel family dispute (Investir au Cameroun).

■  IFC. Up to $60m for Chinese cable maker Huatong's Douala operations, still pending disbursement.

■  Region. An unnamed source told Investir au Cameroun the IMF will sign no new CEMAC program unless every state keeps its 2027 deficit at or below 1.5% of GDP. Unconfirmed.

A rebuilding Cameroon beat Hervé Renard's Côte d'Ivoire 1-0 at Ebimpé on Oct 3 under coach David Pagou, a week after an unbeaten start to AFCON 2027 qualifying.

The home qualifier was played in Garoua, not at the big Olembe or Japoma stadiums in Yaoundé and Douala, a reminder that the venues still need a business model. The next qualifiers come in November.

That's the week. Back next Friday. Reply to this email, we read everything. And if East Africa is on your radar, our sister edition Kilwa Rwanda publishes the same day.

Kilwa Cameroon · Friday, October 9, 2026 · Vol. 1 · No. 1 · Week 41

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Kilwa Cameroon is produced by the Kilwa Research team from sources in French and English. Figures carry their source and date, and unconfirmed reports are labeled. We report only what identified bodies and outlets say about named people. Kilwa Technologies is a research and data company, not an investment adviser. Nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice. kilwa.io