Friday, August 18, the lifeless body of Christian Hué, chief of chancery at the French Consulate General in Douala, was found at his home. Early indications suggest that it could be a suicide. Investigations have been opened to determine the causes and circumstances of the death.
The French Embassy in Cameroon has posted a brief message on its website, stating that it has “learned with deep emotion” of this “brutal disappearance”. It indicates that an investigation is underway to shed light on the causes and circumstances of this event, which it qualifies as “tragic”.
According to a Cameroonian intelligence source, the investigation opened after the death of Christian Hué is being conducted jointly by Cameroonian police and their French counterparts, serving at the French Embassy.
The same source indicates that the initial observations in the residence where the body was found hanging from a rope, suggest suicide, but investigators are not ruling out any hypothesis.
Investigators are also looking into the hypothesis that Christian Hué had been the subject of blackmail for several weeks. At stake is the issuance of several hundred entry visas to France.
According to our information, a first suspect has been arrested and placed in detention at the Secretariat of State for Defense (SED).
This case has fueled many speculations in Douala. On Monday, visa applicants to France found the French consulate closed. The police on duty told them that the service was suspended until further notice.