War on Boko Haram:

Obama gives ultimatum to Biya

Paul Biya

US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power has urged President Biya to ensure respect for the Human Rights of victims of Boko Haram, if ever Cameroon must take credit for fighting and winning the war. This was during an audience in New York on Saturday

                “It is very important that as you fight Boko Haram you must do so while respecting the Human Rights of the people in the area or else there is the risk that you loose public and community support which are essential to winning the fight.”

                This was the message that Mrs. Samantha Power had for President Biya when the two personalities met in audience at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on Saturday.

                The one-hour audience was at the behest of the Cameroonian President, who was accompanied by his close aides notably the Minister of External Relations, Eugene MbellaMbella and the Director of the Civil Cabinet, Martin BelingaEboutou.

                Coming out of the meeting, the US diplomat said they discussed on wide ranging issues bearing on US-Cameroon relations.

                “We of course talked a lot about the fight against the terrorist sect Boko Haram and the welfare of the people of Northern Cameroon who are still vulnerable to suicide attacks and other terrorism acts by Boko Haram. We agreed that it is very important that as you fight Boko Haram you must do so while respecting the Human Rights of the people in the area or else you run the risk of loosing public and community support which are essential to winning the fight,” Mrs Samantha told the press at the end of her audience with Biya.

                That notwithstanding, she saluted USA-Cameroon  relations which she said are at their best.

                It was the second time President Biya was meeting with the US diplomat in less than one year. They met for the first time at the Unity Palace in Yaounde, when the powerful lady visited Cameroon early this year. During her sojoun in Cameroon Mrs. Samantha Power visited Northern Cameroon and also witnessed the public burning of seized illegal ivory in Yaounde.

                It is speculated therefore that the meeting in New York served to reaffirm US commitment in strengthening relations with Cameroon and to give President Obama’s perspectives on several issues to President Biya.

                Thus, during the audience Paul Biya and the US Diplomat reviewed relations between USA and Cameroon and agreed that both countries shared convergent views on a number of key issues.

                “It was an excellent meeting that reflected the increasingly strong relations between USA and Cameroon. President Biya during his stay in New York has had multiple encounters with President Obama. He made very important commitments at President Obama’s refugee summit in terms of caring for refugees coming across the borders and we were really grateful for that. President Biya also participated in President Obama’s USA-Africa Business Forum and they were able to chat at President Obama’s reception. I think overall, the intensity and substance of the interactions that they had is quite new in the history of US-Cameroonian relations,” said Ambassador Power after the audience.

                However, the bone of contention between President Biya and his guest remained the treatment given to victims of Boko Haram.  Even before the audience, several reports by the US State Department had indicted Cameroon of not respecting Human Rights of victims and suspects of Boko Haram. Cameroonian authorities have always denied these accusations, even if their defense has hardly been convincing enough.

                Samantha power is the 28th US ambassador to the UN and was one-time senior advisor to President Obama and later his special assistant.

                Meanwhile, President Biya also granted audience to the new President of Burkina Faso, Roche Marc Christian Kaboure, who was elected into office during the general election of November 2015. Mr. Kaboure is the first President of Burkina Faso who is not a soldier.

                It was the first encounter between the two leaders, and the meeting was expected to weep up relations between Cameroon and Burkina Faso.

                Roche Marc Christian Kaboure was once the PM of Burkina Faso from 1994-1996 and later the president of the national assembly from 2002 to 2012.