On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the High Court of Mfoundi in Yaoundé sentenced Dagobert Nwafo to death by firing squad for the murder of young Mathys Ouandji, aged 5. This verdict plunges Cameroon back into a sensitive debate on the application of capital punishment, which has been rarely applied for several decades. The question is whether Nwafo will suffer the same fate as Cameroon's last executed prisoners, Ndjomseu and Oumbé, in 1987.
Judge Gertrude Ekassi handed down the capital sentence, but in Cameroon, such a decision does not automatically mean execution. Indeed, since 1997, the country has observed a de facto moratorium on executions. Those sentenced to death usually end their days in prison, unless there is an express presidential decision ordering the execution of the sentence. So far, President Paul Biya has not exercised this power since 1987.
The last known public executions in Cameroon date back to August 28, 1987, at New-Bell prison in Douala. Sylvestre Ndjomseu, 20, and Oumbé, 23, were convicted of the massacre of an entire family in Bonabéri in 1979. Their request for presidential clemency having been rejected, they were awakened and led to the execution stake.
Ndjomseu, in tears, reportedly shouted, "I leave you with your Cameroon!", while Oumbé remained silent. About twenty soldiers opened fire, and the crowd applauded. This event marks the last time the death penalty was publicly applied in Cameroon.
Although the death penalty is still enshrined in the Cameroonian Penal Code, its application is rare. Cameroon is considered a de facto abolitionist state, having carried out no executions since 1997. However, the 2016 Penal Code maintains the death penalty, particularly for terrorism-related offenses. In 2018, at least 220 people were under a death sentence.
Cameroonian law prohibits capital punishment for minors and pregnant women, the latter being able to be executed after giving birth. Article 22 of the Penal Code provides for a presidential review to avoid miscarriages of justice. However, criticisms persist regarding the risks of arbitrary application, in particular by military courts, and the lack of adequate guarantees.
The sentencing of Dagobert Nwafo therefore reopens the debate on the legitimacy and application of the death penalty in Cameroon, in a context where the country has observed a de facto moratorium for nearly three decades.
In December 2025, the public prosecutor had requested the death penalty against Dagobert Nwafo, relying on article 374 of the Penal Code.
