As President Paul Biya promoted a new cohort of Cameroonian general officers this week, many in the country took a moment to reflect on the legacy of one of their most distinguished military figures: General Martin Chomu Tumenta, who died in 2015 after a decades-long career marked by national service and international recognition.
General Tumenta made history in 2014 when he was appointed Commander of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). It was a crowning achievement for a soldier who had already built an illustrious record in Cameroon’s elite airborne units and high command.
His final public appearance was on 18 September 2015 in Bangui, during MINUSCA’s first anniversary celebrations. Shortly after the event, the general fell ill and left the Central African Republic for medical treatment in the United States. He died in the night of 29–30 November 2015, at the age of 61.
“The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) learned with great sadness of the death of its Force Commander, Major General Martin Chomu Tumenta,” the mission said in a statement at the time.
“The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of MINUSCA, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, pays tribute to the deceased and commends his commitment and dedication at the head of the Force for the cause of peace in the Central African Republic.”
Appointed by the UN Secretary-General on 30 July 2014, General Tumenta assumed command of MINUSCA in September of that year, overseeing the transition from the African-led MISCA mission to the UN peacekeeping force.
His leadership came at a critical time in the CAR’s crisis, where his operational expertise and diplomatic skill were crucial in stabilisation efforts.
Before his international appointment, Tumenta had a storied career within Cameroon’s military. A graduate of the Joint Military School in Yaoundé (EMIA), he trained at military academies in France and the United States.
He served in various key roles, including as Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Defense and as head of the Third Joint Military Region in Garoua.
He was also renowned for his command of Delta operations in the Bakassi Peninsula, where he played a critical role during the territorial tensions between Cameroon and Nigeria.
Now remembered as a national hero, General Martin Tumenta’s contributions are etched in Cameroonian military history and international peacekeeping records alike. As tributes poured in during this week’s promotions, one sentiment stood above all: “General Martin Chomu Tumenta is now one of those who protect Cameroon, our great nation, from the heavens.”
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