(Ottawa) Cameroon inflicts a diplomatic snub on Canada, denying that it will play the role of mediator in the dispute between the Cameroonian government and English-speaking separatists – and this, three days after Ottawa made the official announcement .
In a statement published Monday afternoon on social networks, the authenticity of which was confirmed by a Canadian government source, the Cameroonian Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, affirms that despite “information disseminated in certain media no foreign country had received the mandate to arbitrate the conflict.
“The government of Cameroon informs the national and international communities that it has not entrusted any foreign country or external entity with the role of mediator and facilitator to resolve the conflict in the South West and North West regions”, is it written in the document stamped with the seal of the Cameroonian government and dated January 23.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Friday that Ottawa had “agreed to play a facilitating role in this process, as part of its commitment to promote peace and security and to advance support for democracy. and human rights”.
She had drawn praise from the United States Embassy in Yaoundé on Monday afternoon.
Conservative Foreign Affairs Critic Michael Chong taunted Minister Joly by shoving in her face a statement she made in March 2022 on CTV, when she had touted the merits of Canada in diplomatic matters.
“Apparently not,” he scoffed.
The Canadian government had not yet reacted to this rebuff at the time of publishing these lines, late Monday afternoon.
Secret encounters in Canada
The Central African country appealed to the Canadian government last summer to invite it to play the role of mediator in the dispute between the Cameroonian government and English-speaking separatists, according to our information.
Secret meetings were held in Montebello, Mont-Tremblant and Toronto to allow the parties to negotiate, also confirmed to The Press a Canadian government source who requested anonymity, not being authorized to discuss the file publicly.
Historic tensions simmering in the English-speaking South West and North West regions escalated into armed conflict in 2017 between government forces and the movement seeking independence for the “Federal Republic of Ambazonia”.
The Republic of Cameroon, the Ambazonia Governing Council and the Ambazonia Defense Forces, the African People’s Liberation Movement and the Southern Cameroons Defense Forces, the Interim Government, as well as the Ambazonia coalition team were among the parties to the agreement announced last Friday by Minister Joly.