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President Emmanuel Macron arrived late Monday in Cameroon in the beginning of a three-nation tour of western Africa as he seeks to reboot France’s post-colonial relationship with the continent.
Macron was welcomed on the airport in Yaounde at round 10:40 pm by Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.
The primary journey of his new time period exterior Europe, which can even take him to Benin and Guinea-Bissau, ought to permit Macron to “present the dedication of the president within the technique of renewing the connection with the African continent”, mentioned a French presidential official, who requested to not be named.
Macron is because of maintain talks Tuesday morning on the presidential palace along with his counterpart Paul Biya, 89, who has dominated Cameroon with an iron fist for practically 40 years.
They’re anticipated to debate safety in Cameroon, which has been riven by ethnic violence and an insurgency by anglophone separatists who’ve been combating for independence for 2 English-speaking provinces since 2017. Northern Cameroon has additionally seen assaults by Boko Haram jihadists.
Macron had provoked Biya’s indignation in 2020 after declaring he would apply “most stress” on the president over “insupportable” violence within the West African nation.
His go to comes at a time when former colonial energy France has seen its affect decline within the face of China, India and Germany, notably within the financial and industrial sectors.
After lunch with Biya and his spouse Chantal, Macron will meet representatives of youth and civil society.
He’ll finish the day in “Noah Village”, hosted by former tennis champion Yannick Noah, who’s growing a leisure and training centre in a preferred district of Yaounde, the place he lives for a number of months a 12 months.
Macron will transfer on Wednesday to Benin, which has confronted lethal assaults from jihadists, who’ve unfold from the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea nations.
Benin was lengthy praised for its thriving multi-party democracy. However critics say its democracy has steadily eroded beneath President Patrice Talon over the past half-decade.
On Thursday, Macron will end his tour in Guinea-Bissau, which has been riven by political crises at a time when its president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, is making ready to take the helm of the Financial Neighborhood of West African States.
All three nations have been criticised by activists over their rights data, however the Elysee has insisted that governance and rights points will likely be raised, albeit “with out media noise however within the type of direct exchanges between the heads of states”.
(AFP)
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