The Cameroonian government has strongly condemned an attack on an official delegation in Brussels, led by Youth Minister Mounouna Foutsou, and vowed to pursue those responsible, according to a statement released March 4 by Minister of Communication René Emmanuel Sadi. Sadi, who also serves as the government spokesperson, said in the statement that the government “deplores and strongly condemns” the attack, and that it “does not intend to stand idly by.” He added, “Appropriate measures will be taken to identify the perpetrators of these seditious acts and bring them before the competent authorities.”

The incident in question involved an attack on the Cameroonian delegation on February 28 during the closing ceremony of Youth Month in Brussels, presided over by Foutsou. Members of the Brigade Anti-Sardinards (BAS), a diaspora-based political activist group, were identified as the assailants. Ambassador Daniel Evina Abe’e, Cameroon’s envoy to Belgium, was also violently assaulted during the February 28 incident, according to videos circulating on social media. Foutsou and Abe’e were targeted again on March 3 as the minister prepared to depart Brussels for Cameroon.

Following these events, Abe’e, in a statement released March 4, condemned the attacks as “unacceptable aggression.” He said, “This act of violence perpetrated by individuals claiming affiliation with the BAS constitutes a serious violation of the physical integrity of these officials, the dignity of Cameroonian institutions, and the fundamental principles of dialogue and mutual respect.”

On March 5, an international relations expert, speaking on CRTV radio, suggested that Cameroon’s diplomatic mission in Belgium file a complaint against unknown persons to facilitate the identification and prosecution of the attackers. However, it remains unclear whether the government will pursue this course of action.

Nevertheless, Minister of External Relations Lejeune Mbella Mbella summoned Belgian Ambassador to Cameroon Alain Leroy, according to national public media. The attack was reportedly a key topic of their discussion. The government’s official position is that the attack in Belgium constitutes an affront to the entire nation.

“The government calls for mutual respect from the authorities of friendly nations, as well as adherence to the commitments and responsibilities incumbent upon all states under the international conventions to which we are all parties,” Sadi emphasized.

Source: Business in Cameroon