As a consequence of poor leadership and weak diplomacy, built in the CPDM method of governance, Cameroon did not sign the charter on maritime security adopted by the African Union in the Togolese capital, Lomé. Since Biya does not want anyone to feel stronger abroad, Cameroon was represented in the October 15^th forum by two cabinet ministers:  Laurent Esso, Minister of Justice and Mbella Mbella of the Ministry of External Relations.

In Lomé, the two Cameroonian representatives whose country hosted the first summit on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea in June 2013 did not sign the Lomé agreement. Yet at the Yaoundé meeting in 2013, it was decided that the AU will set up a coordination centre for operations against maritime piracy with head office in Yaounde.

The absence of President Biya who for the past 32 days has been holidaying in Swiss evidently prevented the country from signing the Lomé charter. Nothing has filtered from Yaounde ever since the summit ended in Togo.

By Rita Akana