President Biya some few days ago made a large movement in the central and external services of the Ministry of External Relations. But the French Cameroun dictator blatantly refused to change the ambassadors who are for the most part the deans of the diplomatic corps in their respective countries of assignment.

On November 7, 2017, Paul Biya signed several decrees appointing officials in the central and external services of the Ministry of External Relations. The Biya action was unprecedented as the nation had not witnessed such a movement of diplomatic staff for more than a decade. However, Cameroon Intelligence Report undertands Mr. Biya did not change 13 heads of diplomatic missions.

The reason is simple.  Cameroon ambassadors abroad are for the most part the deans of the diplomatic corps and the 84 year old dictator gets a form of political cover from his ambassador acolytes.  Interestingly, some positions have been vacant for  some years now notably  the case of Martin Mbarga Nguelé. Appointed in 2010 as the Delegate General for National Security, he still retains his position as ambassador of Cameroon to Spain. Mbarga Nguele had spent 19 years in Brazil.

The High Commissioner in Great Britain and Northern Ireland since April 28, 2008, Nkuele Ekaney was recalled back home on October 16 and has not been replaced by Biya. Getting protection from Cameroon’s diplomatic services abroad is not something new to the Biya Francophone regime. The current Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, was High Commissioner of Cameroon to Canada from October 1984 to December 2004, making it a period of 20 years.

In Biya’s recent decree, of the 12 directorates at the central departments of the Ministry of External Relations, only two directors have kept their position. Amadou Sali who remains Director of General Affairs and Oumar Abba, who remained at the helm of the Asia Affairs Directorate and relations with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The others will continue their career abroad among them Tatah Salomon Enoma (United States), Antoine Ahmadou (France), Olivier Kenhago (Belgium), Margueritte Effa Ngamba (Russia).

By Rita Akana with files from CIN