Cameroon:Paul Biya Makes New Appeal For Int’l Support To Tackle Conflicts In Africa

The Head of State Paul Biya has once again pleaded with the international community not to look away as some African countries continue to battle with various armed crises.

The President of the Republic made the appeal Friday January 6 at the State House as he responded to new year wishes from members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Yaounde.

He was responding to a statement by the dean of the diplomatic corps in Yaounde, Gabon’s High Commissioner Paul Patrick Biffot, who has been his country’s envoy to Yaounde since 2012.

Speaking, President Paul Biya noted that the year just ended was marked by challenges such as the continuing negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine which made life practically difficult for many countries of the world.

On the issue of conflicts, the Head of State noted: “As I mentioned earlier on, there are multiple lingering security crisis worldwide. Unfortunately, Africa remains the theatre of many armed conflicts. Such conflicts regardless of form or justification truly impede development and affect innocent people.”

“Of course, it is incumbent upon every state to take necessary and useful measures to maintain peace within its borders or with its neighbours. However, I wish to appeal to the international community to pay greater attention to the crises and conflicts occurring on the African continent,” P resident Paul Biya appealed.

Other issues mentioned by the Head of State included the need for peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts towards fighting climate change, the potential gains of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and the inequalities in global trade, among others.

Diplomats Praise Cameroon’s Devt Efforts

Meanwhile, in his remarks at the start of the ceremony, the dean of the diplomatic corps, High Commissioner Paul Patrick Biffot, speaking on behalf of his peers, made an appraisal of Cameroon’s efforts not only in pushing ahead the decentralisation agenda, but also in being so resilient in the face of various economic shocks.

“The year 2022 saw major progress namely in terms of accelerating the implementation of the decentralisation process, which will help bring citizens closer to the administration and increase their participation in local development. We note with satisfaction that the government and its partners also revived their collaboration on issues of development,” said Biffot.

The diplomat also praised President Paul Biya’s involvement in tackling issues of regional concern such as the fight against insecurity. He equally expressed gratitude to Cameroon for its open-door policy in welcoming hundreds of thousands of refugees who are hosted in different regions of the country.

In this light, he commended government for organising the first-ever regional ministerial conference on the management of refugees which took place in April 2022 in Yaounde, to proffer solutions to the problems of forcibly displaced persons from the Central African Republic.

With regard to the crisis in the North West and South West regions, Biffot appreciated government’s efforts so far in handling the situation, but called for a continuation of dialogue so as to bring definitive peace and normalcy to the troubled areas.

After the speech-making part, the diplomats each took turns to shake hands and share pleasantries with the President. The ceremony which took place at the Ambassadors hall of the State House lasted around 45 minutes.

">

The Head of State Paul Biya has once again pleaded with the international community not to look away as some African countries continue to battle with various armed crises.

The President of the Republic made the appeal Friday January 6 at the State House as he responded to new year wishes from members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Yaounde.

He was responding to a statement by the dean of the diplomatic corps in Yaounde, Gabon’s High Commissioner Paul Patrick Biffot, who has been his country’s envoy to Yaounde since 2012.

Speaking, President Paul Biya noted that the year just ended was marked by challenges such as the continuing negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine which made life practically difficult for many countries of the world.

On the issue of conflicts, the Head of State noted: “As I mentioned earlier on, there are multiple lingering security crisis worldwide. Unfortunately, Africa remains the theatre of many armed conflicts. Such conflicts regardless of form or justification truly impede development and affect innocent people.”

“Of course, it is incumbent upon every state to take necessary and useful measures to maintain peace within its borders or with its neighbours. However, I wish to appeal to the international community to pay greater attention to the crises and conflicts occurring on the African continent,” P resident Paul Biya appealed.

Other issues mentioned by the Head of State included the need for peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts towards fighting climate change, the potential gains of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and the inequalities in global trade, among others.

Diplomats Praise Cameroon’s Devt Efforts

Meanwhile, in his remarks at the start of the ceremony, the dean of the diplomatic corps, High Commissioner Paul Patrick Biffot, speaking on behalf of his peers, made an appraisal of Cameroon’s efforts not only in pushing ahead the decentralisation agenda, but also in being so resilient in the face of various economic shocks.

“The year 2022 saw major progress namely in terms of accelerating the implementation of the decentralisation process, which will help bring citizens closer to the administration and increase their participation in local development. We note with satisfaction that the government and its partners also revived their collaboration on issues of development,” said Biffot.

The diplomat also praised President Paul Biya’s involvement in tackling issues of regional concern such as the fight against insecurity. He equally expressed gratitude to Cameroon for its open-door policy in welcoming hundreds of thousands of refugees who are hosted in different regions of the country.

In this light, he commended government for organising the first-ever regional ministerial conference on the management of refugees which took place in April 2022 in Yaounde, to proffer solutions to the problems of forcibly displaced persons from the Central African Republic.

With regard to the crisis in the North West and South West regions, Biffot appreciated government’s efforts so far in handling the situation, but called for a continuation of dialogue so as to bring definitive peace and normalcy to the troubled areas.

After the speech-making part, the diplomats each took turns to shake hands and share pleasantries with the President. The ceremony which took place at the Ambassadors hall of the State House lasted around 45 minutes.