Like in past years, 2013 also saw the departure of many known and unknown Cameroonians. Close ones, colleagues, acquaintances and others, kicked the bucket following illnesses, accidents, murders, assassinations or suicides. CT here pays homage to some of the emblematic departures while wishing for a lesser number in 2014.

January 4, Cameroon Tribune's former deputy Editor-in-Chief, Claude-René Mve Mintsa, dies.

January 10, death of former Secretary General in the Ministry of Finance, Denis Oumarou

January 12, burial of former Minister of Territorial Administration, Koungou Edima Ferdinand in Komassi, Dzeng Sub-division in the Centre Region.

January 14, André Djappa, CRTV journalist dies.

January 16, Journalist, Albert Honoré Etame, dies in Douala.

January 21, death of Prof Jacob Ayuk-Takem, former Minister of Scientific Research.

January 21, Journalist Mvondo Titus dies.

January 13, death of the Reverend Sister, Marie Roumy, founder of Saint Nicodème homes.

February 8, Belinga B'Eno Charles, René Emmanuel in charge of Special Duties in the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency dies.

March 5, Venezuela's emblematic President, Hugo Chavez, dies.

March 7, Business magnate, Omgba Damase, dies in France.

March 9, Former Defence Minister, Jérôme Emilien Abondo, dies in Yaounde.

March 19, René Joseph Jam Afane, composer of Cameroon's National Anthem, dies.

March 21, Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe, dies.

March 20, the President of Bangladesh, Zillu Rahman, dies.

April 8, death of United Kingdom's former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

April 12, death of engineer and classical music choral master, René Esso.

May 10, death of renowned sculptor, Gédéon Mpando.

May 14, Pr Peter Ndumbe dies in South Africa. He was former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaounde I.

May 23, death of French artiste Georges Moustaki.

June 18, Cameroonian bass guitar artiste, Hervé Maboma, dies.

August 18, Ethiopia's reggae artiste, Eyob Mekonnen, dies.

August 21, death of former international referee, Emmanuel Ngalaka.

August 31, former Ambassador Paul Pondi dies in Yaounde.

September 7, death of Yaounde VI Mayor, Jean Claude Adjessa Melingui.

September 25, death of His Majesty Ekwalla Essaka, chief of Deido, Douala.

October 7, death of former Minister of Justice, Barrister Douala Moutome.

October 15, former trainer of the Senegalese national soccer team, Bruno Metsu, dies.

October 28, Jean-Marie Zama, senior commercial staff at SOPECAM, dies.

November 1, Jacques Bendié Ekounda, photographer-reporter at Cameroon Tribune, dies.

November 16, death of Prof Atangana Abanda, Technical Adviser in the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic.

November 28, death of businessman and philanthropist, Jérôme Kamdem in Yaounde.

November 30, Congolese rumba artiste, Tabu Ley Rochereau, dies at 76, in Brussels, Belgium.

December 3, Owona Essama Vincent dies at the age of 57. He was employed in the technical department at SOPECAM.

December 5, South African anti-apartheid crusader and Statesman, Nelson Mandela, dies at 95 in his home in Johannesburg.