First Biya, Hollande Summit

Both leaders met for the first time last Saturday since the election of the new French President last May.

Since the election of Mr. François Hollande as the President of France last May, contact between leaders of the two countries have remained at the level of messages; at least as far as ordinary citizens can fathom. Mr. Hollande was the first to send a message. That was on the occasion of Cameroon's National Day on May 20. Then two months later, on the occasion of the French National Day on July 14, the President of the Republic also addressed a goodwill message to his French counterpart. But a physical meeting between the two leaders, befitting of the quality of relations and tradition of cooperation that exists between the two countries, was something many expected to come sooner, rather than later.

The decisive moment came last Saturday on the sidelines of the 14th Summit of the Francophonie in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. State Protocol officials had put the initial meeting time between the two men at about 12 noon and a few postponements to 4.15 PM and later to 5PM rather reinforced the imminence of the meeting because, by all accounts, it was necessary that the two meet. And for good measure. For example, President Biya, after the half-hour exchange with his French counterpart, explained that the traditional friendship that exists between the two countries warranted that their leaders meet whenever possible. And that is why, he explained, he had met several other colleagues during the Kinshasa meeting. Moreover, the President said, he availed himself of the opportunity to once more congratulate the new French President for his victory at the May elections. President Biya described his discussion with President Hollande as very frank, especially in matters of cooperation and with particular regard for security issues and crime.

Invitation

President Biya also told the Cameroonian press team accompanying him in Kinshasa that he has used the opportunity of this first meeting to formally invite the French President to visit Cameroon, justifying his invitation on the fact that many Cameroonians had been expressing the wish to see such a visit come through.

Asked to say what particular input he had made during the summit as the Doyen of the group, the President of the Republic, in his characteristic humility, said the title of Doyen is an appellation imposed on him by some of his peers. He said he could not take any particular initiative on account of this appellation because "it has no juridical basis."