There are moments in public life that transcend protocol. Wednesday evening was one of them.

A joint delegation of the Network of Parliamentarians for the Diaspora and Decentralised Cooperation, known by its French acronym REP-COD, and the High Council of Cameroonians Abroad, the HCCE, made their way to the family home of the late Laurentine Koa Mfegue, the former Eldest Member of the National Assembly, to offer condolences and stand beside a grieving family.

The evening began earlier at the headquarters of the REP-COD, where senators, members of parliament and senior representatives of the diaspora community gathered before making the joint visit. In the absence of the network's president, it was Senator Otte Mofa Andrew, Vice-President of the REP-COD, who led proceedings with quiet composure, setting the tone for what would be an evening of reflection rather than ceremony.

By the time the delegation arrived at the family residence, around half past six in the evening, several other prominent figures had already gathered. Among them, the Minister of Commerce, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, who also serves as departmental president of the ruling RDPC party for the Mefou-et-Afamba constituency, and the President of the RDPC Parliamentary Group, Honourable Roger Melingui.

The family was represented by Jean-Luc Mbede, who received the delegation with dignity and gratitude. Speaking on behalf of those left behind, he acknowledged the outpouring of support that had accompanied the family since the passing of the late parliamentarian and expressed heartfelt thanks to all who had made the journey.

Senator Otte Mofa Andrew then delivered the official message of condolences from the REP-COD, taking a moment to remind those present that Laurentine Koa Mfegue was not merely a member of the network but its Honorary President, a distinction that spoke volumes about the esteem in which she was held. He followed his words with a symbolic financial contribution, handed to the family on behalf of both the REP-COD and the HCCE.

The evening closed the way it had unfolded, with warmth and without fanfare, around a meal offered by the family, a gesture as Cameroonian as it was human.

Laurentine Koa Mfegue, elected under the RDPC banner in the Mefou-et-Afamba constituency in the Centre region, passed away on 22 January 2026 at the age of 81. She was serving her second term as a member of parliament at the time of her death and had opened the 10th legislative period as Eldest Member of the National Assembly, a role she carried with distinction until the very end.

She leaves behind not only a family, but an institution that will take time to fill the space she occupied.