Biya Threatens To Dump Western Countries Over Human Rights Issues

Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya has told diplomats in Yaoundé that he would be seeking greater amity with Asiatic countries rather than Western countries which are famous with given lessons to the black continent.

                While speaking to heads of diplomatic missions represented in Yaoundé during the traditional ceremony of presentation of New Year wishes, the 86-year-old said in the days ahead he would be strengthening relationship with Asiatic countries which to him are better partners of development. While hailing his two official visits to China within 10 months, Paul Biya praised the China-Africa summit and said apart from China other countries such as Korea and Japan would be his focused.

                Although refraining from out rightly castigating Western countries, experts have argued that Paul Biya may be sending a warning signal to Western nations to shun the attitude of meddling into Cameroon’s politics.

According to international relations experts, Immanuel Bumakor, it is a political game by the President who is merely telling Western countries that as they focus on Cameroon’s poor human rights record especially with the conflict in the Anglophone Regions, he has alternatives in Asia who do not bother about politics and human rights but business and raw materials.

                The researcher, however argued that it may still be another attitude of pride from the President who has been in power for 36 years, trying to show that Cameroon also has friends elsewhere such as in Asia and not just the West.

                According to him, Paul Biya still heavily depends on Western countries like America which is the main sponsor of the country’s elite force as well as France, its strategic master.