Yondo Black

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Wikipedia

Yondo Black
Born
Yondo Mandengue Black

(1938-08-10)10 August 1938
Died16 October 2025(2025-10-16) (aged 87)
Douala, Cameroon
OccupationLawyer

Yondo Mandengue Black (10 August 1938 – 16 October 2025) was a Cameroonian lawyer.[1] He was notably bâtonnier of the Cameroon Bar Association [fr] from 1982 to 1986.

Life and career

Born on 10 August 1938, Black moved to France in 1961 and became active in student organizations, such as the National Union of Kamerun Students in France. He was expelled from the country alongside Woungly-Massaga [fr] following unrest in the country linked to the death of Patrice Lumumba and the Black African Students Federation in France.

Upon his return to Cameroon, Black rose to prominence as a lawyer following a stint in prison. As batonnier of the Cameroon Bar Association, he founded the Conférence internationale des barreaux [fr].[2] He often ended his speeches with the expression "J'ai dit" ("I said").[3][4] In the 1990s, he became an activist for political change in Cameroon, working alongside Anicet Ekane and Djeukam Tchameni.[5] After serving a prison term for fighting for press freedom, he spoke at a conference at the residence of Albert Dzongang [fr] amidst the 2018 presidential election calling for Paul Biya to step down.[6] On 5 June 2020, he spoke out against a private succession of power for the Cameroonian presidency.[7] On 6 July 2024, he was named first honorary lawyer of Cameroon.[8]

Black died in Douala on 16 October 2025, at the age of 87.[9]

Works

  • Une justice qui vous broie. . . Affaire Me Lydienne Yen Eyoum: Une justice sous influence (2017)
  • Et maintenant... Maurice Kamto (2020)[10]
  • Au fil de ma plume, Mes écrits et mes interventions politiques (2023)

References

  1. ↑ Ntap, Salomon Albert (16 October 2025). "Cameroun: Maître Yondo Black est décédé ce jour à Douala". Journal Chrétien (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Channon, François (11 December 2006). "" L'indépendance financière est nécessaire "". bonaberi.com (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  3. ↑ "Me Yondo Black : «le Cameroun va se débarrasser de son despote»". Actu Cameroun (in French). 5 July 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  4. ↑ "Me Yondo Black : « Que la Reine Chantal Biya ait perdu des kilos, en quoi l'avenir du Cameroun est-il concerné ?»". Le bled parle (in French). 28 May 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Soboth, Jean-Marc (2019). Guerandi Mbara, le "colis" de Monsieur Biya : Tout ce qu'on vous a caché sur l'assassinat de l'ancien conseiller du président Blaise Compaoré (in French). Quebec City: Les Éditions Afro-Canadiennes. p. 134. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  6. ↑ Topona, Eric (22 October 2018). "Cameroun: Me Yondo Black écrit à Paul Biya". Deutsche Welle (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "Cameroun: "Non à la succession de gré à gré au sommet de l'état" : Me Yondo Black (JMTV+)". YouTube (in French). 5 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Le bâtonnier Yondo Black devient le tout premier avec le titre d'avocat honoraire au Cameroun". CamerounWeb (in French). 7 July 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  9. ↑ L., Alexandre (16 October 2025). "Décès de Me Yondo Mandengue Black – Me Akere Luna: « J'ai perdu un mentor et un ami »". Actu Cameroun (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Charrière-Bournazel, Christian (18 September 2017). "La justice camerounaise – procès de Lydienne Yen Eyoum". Christian Charrière-Bournazel (in French). Retrieved 21 October 2025.