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It took more than one hour last Friday, December 02, for President Paul Biya and Michael Stephen Hoza, United States Ambassador to Cameroon to review relations between the two countries during an audience at the Unity Palace.
It was the first meeting of the two personalities since power changed hands through the November Presidential elections in the United States of America. This audience was of importance considering that Donald Trump takes over as new President come January.
“There has been an election in America and of course there will be a new administration in January. So it is important for President Biya and I to discuss the future of the partnership with Cameroon”, Michael S. Hoza told reporters at the end of the audience.
The U.S diplomat was quick to assure Cameroonians through the interview with State House Correspondents that the partnership between his country and Cameroon will only grow from strength to strength.
“We have every indication that our partnership in the fight against Boko Haram, in trying to bring stability in the Central African Republic and partnership in security in the Gulf of Guinea will all continue”, he stated, underscoring that America is committed to partner with Cameroon for the growth of its economy and for the future of peace and prosperity.
To go by his declaration, America has the intension to activate American private sector investment in Cameroon in order to hopefully help the Cameroonian economy “takeoff.”
On the statement issued by the State department through the Embassy in Yaounde on the respect of human rights in connection with the social uprisings in Anglophone Cameroon, he said, American government’s position is that Cameroon has great strength in diversity worth preserving.
“Cameroon has a wonderful history of tolerance and thus President Biya and I agreed that dialogue is the future for Cameroon. We know that there will be discussions and we are certain that the Cameroonian people will find a solution and be able to live together”, he said.
Michael S. Hoza warned that there is already enough violence in and around Cameroon and should not be allowed to penetrate the country. “We already have enough violence at the frontier with Cameroon; violence from Boko Haram, in the Central African Republic etc. We should not allow violence to get into our house”, he said. The audience which started at exactly 12 noon ended at almost 1:30 pm.
