By Kejang Henry
The final judgement was delivered by the Mfoundi high Court on September 8, 2025 in favour of Julius Banka, a US embassy staff worker who was arbitrary fired from his function and as a worker with the US embassy.
When the final judgement was delivered by judge Owondja Achilles, there was an outpour of jubilation from Banka’s legal team, led by senior attorney, James F. Epo. and Bouba Soukeymanou and Blaise Amolo Raul.
This is the first time in the history of Cameroon that an individual fought a legal battle with a diplomatic mission and won, talk less of the US embassy. Legal minds present at the court say the Banka Vs US embassy case has set a precedent in jurisprudence where people believe a diplomatic mission can perpetrate human rights abuse and get away with it. It is Banka’s courage and the resilience of the Attorneys to make sure justice is established and for those who have suffered injustice but decided to retract and die in silence.
-The rule of law established
The judgment fell like a bomb shell to the legal team defending the US embassy. But from every stretch of legal logic, Banka had a good case.
For 7 years, the Banka Vs US embassy Cameroon case dragged on, with both parties respecting the law of confidentiality.
Speaking to the press after the judgement was delivered, lead counsel for Julius Banka, Attorney James F. Epo said “The recent landmark case against the US embassy marks a significant milestone in holding foreign missions and multinational firms accountable for their action. The case demonstrates that the government of cameroon has the duty to protect it’s citizens, particularly youths in the labour market, from exploitation and abuse.”
He also detailed that, “We welcome this opportunity to shed light on the importance of upholding labour rights and ensuring that all entities operating in Cameroon adhered to local laws and regulations. We hope that this case will set a precedent for future instances to promote a fair and just working environment for all cameroonians. We look forward to continuing this important work and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to protect the rights of cameroonians.”
-Enduring 7 years of Trauma
Julius Banka has gone through thick and thin. For 7 years, he engaged a legal battle against the US embassy. Having worked for 9 years and four months as a Warehouse and general services manager, Banka was fired. For 7 years he was resilient despite the challenges he was facing after having lost his job.
Banka went through Trauma, tribulations and terrible ordeals. But the tenacity of his legal team gave him the courage to live. By the ordeals, he has developed a revolting spirit, that of standing against injustice. He has actually developed a shot spot as a human right activist. After the judgement was delivered, tears of joy brooded down the cheeks of Banka who had contemplated suicide at one point.
-Did the Ministry of justice block the procedure?
Three ministerial departments were involved in the Banka Vs US embassy law case: The ministry of external relations, the ministry of justice and the ministry of labour and social security. Considering the protracted nature of the trial, many people had associated the minister of justice, Laurent Esso as the one blocking the progress of the file, which was a lie. It was noticed that many peole arrogate with the name of the minister who is not even aware of what is happening. And they do so for perosnal aggrandizement.
Even the state department had wanted the rule of law to prevail.
The first judge who handled the case was Thierry Massoussi, while Achilles Owondja concluded and rendered the judgment.