French Embassy denies local reports that France is about using Boko Haram to destabilise Cameroon as it did Ivory Coast, Libya.
Yesterday, the French embassy in Yaounde vehemently refuted allegations emanating from some local media outlets that France is secretly carrying out nefarious activities that may sabotage the war Cameroon declared against Boko Haram in a bid to topple Paul Biya’s regime.
The embassy issued a release, stating that contrary to completely misguided media reports, the embassy vehemently condemns attacks perpetrated by the terrorist movement in the northern regions of Cameroon along the border with Nigeria.
The embassy’s reaction came in the wake of reports in the local media, including Afrique Media TV, French language regional newspaper Integration, and Pheonix Hebdo, suggesting that the French areabout destabilising the Biya’s regime as they did in Ivory Coast and in Libya when they toppled Laurent Gwabo and Muama Kaddafi respectively.
In the contrary, the embassy release affirmed France’s solidarity with Cameroon in its fight against terrorism and respect of human rights. It honours Cameroonian soldiers who were killed fighting against Boko Haram. The embassy equally extended its empathy to families of deceased soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives in clashes with the jihadists.
The release also refutes local media reports that French President, Francoise Hollande met with representatives from Cameroon when he visited Chad on July 18 and 19. The communique states that the French government would be fully in support of the governments of Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and Chad in the fight against Boko Haram and the sustenance of peace and security in Africa.
The French government, according to the communiqué, acknowledged the joint efforts of countries in the region to set up a coordinated riposte against the terrorist group, especially the creation of a multinational force.
The embassy also urged the countries to strengthen collaboration in the fight against Boko Haram as they meet in a security forum today, September 3, in Abuja, Nigeria.
In the local reports and opinion which the French embassy referred to as misguided, journalists and opinion leaders appealed to Cameroonians to stick together and avoid pointing accusing fingers at each other over Boko Haram strikes.
According to them, such accusations may lead to ethnic or religious war and only France and weapons manufacturing countries would benefit. French satellite cable distribution service, Canal SAT, stopped distributing signals of Afrique Media TV at the end of July in retaliation to the airing of such claims against the French.
