"(Business in Cameroon) - Following recent events, the visa service is suspended until further notice," reads a message at the entrance to the French consulate in Douala, Cameroon's economic capital. The message provides visa applicants with no further explanation. However, recently, news surfaced announcing the death of the French vice-consul in Douala, Christian André Marie Hué (photo), who was found hanged in his Douala I residence on August 18, 2023.  

Since his death, the French community has been mourning. On August 21, 2023, the French Consulate General in the administrative district of Bonanjo was grieving. The French flag is at half-mast and services are closed. Inside the consulate, the mood is gloomy. An employee, who requested anonymity, said that "no colleague is authorized to comment on this tragedy. We have to stick to” the consulate’s official announcement.  When asked whether services will resume soon, the latter indicated that it could happen this week. “For the time being, only the emergency cases concerning French nationals are being processed,” we learn. 

Born on June 7, 1957, in Mazingarbe, France, Christian André Marie Hue was Head of Chancery at the French Consulate General in Douala. The official cause of his death is still unknown. However, unofficial sources claim it is linked with visa trafficking. "An investigation is underway to shed light on the causes and circumstances of this tragic event," said the chancellery in a statement published on its website. According to the news website Stop Bla Bla Cam, the Littoral regional division of the judicial police (DRPJ) is in charge of the investigations. 

Frédéric Nonos