The Higher Judicial Council is having to foot the bill for the behind-the-scenes conflict between Cameroonian presidency secretary general Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh and justice minister Laurent Esso. It has been unable to make any appointments for the last three years, reports Africa Intelligence.

The Ngoh Ngoh-Laurent Esso tug-of-war is going on at a time when an examining magistrate investigating the murder of the Cameroonian journalist has unearthed a report which is favourable to Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, who has been in pre-trial detention since 4 March.