The controversy surrounding the dethronement of Josiane Golonga from her title as Miss Cameroon 2025 continues to generate reactions. Following the announcement of her replacement by her first runner-up, Audrey Moutongo, journalist Jean Claude Mbede has published an open letter urging Moutongo to renounce the crown.
In his letter, Mbede strongly criticizes the way Moutongo accessed the title, calling her a "shameless usurper" and accusing her of taking advantage of a "plot". He insists that the crown thus acquired cannot bring the expected honor and that Moutongo will forever be associated with this controversy.
"For the Cameroonian people, you will never be 'Miss Cameroon'. You will remain, in the national imagination, the runner-up who took advantage of a plot to seize an ill-gotten gain," Mbede writes in his letter. He encourages her to run again in a future edition of the contest if her ambition is sincere.
Josiane Golonga's dethronement by the Miss Cameroon Organizing Committee (COMICA) was announced on February 25, 2026, for "serious breaches" of her contractual obligations. COMICA accused her of unjustified absences from official events and disrespect towards the institution. Josiane Golonga disputes these accusations and demands the payment of her salary arrears and the return of her official vehicle.
This case has revived criticism of COMICA, accused of dubious practices and lack of transparency. Voices are rising to demand a reform of the contest and better protection for the candidates. Former Miss Cameroon title holders, such as Audrey Aboula (First Runner-Up 2016) and Julie Cheugueu (Miss 2016, who was also dethroned), have already publicly denounced the internal problems within the organization.
Audrey Moutongo, 27 years old and from Douala, has therefore become Miss Cameroon in a particularly tense context. She will have to represent Cameroon at Miss Universe 2026, with the heavy task of restoring the image of the contest. The Miss Cameroon saga continues to fuel debates and spark passionate reactions within public opinion. Jean Claude Mbede's call for Audrey Moutongo's resignation is just another episode in this ongoing controversy.
