By Yerima Kini Nsom
The US Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E Christopher John Lamora, has stated that the United States Government congratulated President Paul Biya on his new term of office after the October 12, 2025 presidential election. He made the clarification while answering questions from journalists in Yaounde recently.
Ambassador Lamora who has come to the end of his diplomatic mission after close to a four-year sojourn in Cameroon, dismissed claims that the press release the Embassy issued after President Paul Biya was sworn-in for another seven-year mandate last November, was fraught with ambiguity.
To him, the press release was very clear that the US government was congratulating President Biya on his new term of office. When quizzed, he carefully avoided making any direct comments on the conduct and outcome of the presidential election. Hear him: “It is the policy of the Trump administration, it is the policy of the United States government that elections are fundamentally something that is the domestic purview of the country in question. It is not the place of the United States government to comment on the running of that election or its outcome. It is the domestic constituency of the country to sort out what happened”. The diplomat said he was, however, happy that millions of Cameroonians fully engaged in the election, went to the polls and expressed their opinions. He took exception to the post-election violence that led to several deaths and arrest and detention of some opposition figures.
He said it was incumbent on all Cameroonians to respect the laws that they have put in place. Going by him, the post-election violence could have been avoided in many respects. When asked to comment about the abuse of human rights and freedoms in the country, he said he has been having conversations with authorities. He said he has been discussing several ailing issues with the Cameroonian authorities discreetly, thereby avoiding any chances of slipping into what he refers to as “megaphone diplomacy”.
While promising that the US government will continue to prosecute us-based Cameroonians indicted for stoking the embers of the armed conflict in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, the Ambassador reiterated his call for dialogue that would lead to peaceful solution to the crisis. He remarked that it was not up to him or for the US government to determine what form the dialogue should be applied. When asked the human rights protection efforts Cameroon has been making, following the country’s suspension from AGOA and the reduction US Military Assistance more than five years ago, the Ambassador remarked that there has some improvement. Said he: “Since 2019 when the US military Assistance was reduced and Cameroon suspended from AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act), we have seen significant improved troop behaviour with regards to human rights norms. We have seen more and more Cameroonians troops held accountable rather than letting them get away with impunity”.
While commenting on the suspension of USAID that served humanity all over the world for over 60 years, Ambassador Lamora said the American Foreign policy under President Trump is based on the concept of “America first”. Going by him, this means that the American authorities need to see that the money they have been spending is not contrary to the interests of the United States. To him, it was time for them to pause and evaluate whether the billions of dollars they have spent all over the world in 60 years, were used for American interest or not.
Answering a question on US-Cameroon business relations the Ambassador remarked that: “the business environment here is not always conducive to the kind of trade and development relations that we would like to see”. He continued: “I would like the business climate here to improve so as to encourage foreign investments that would generate more employment. I call for the independence of the judiciary in the sense that if I am an American investor and I get into a dispute, either with the government or with a Cameroonian partner, I should have a fair hearing”. The diplomat tacitly admitted that the lack of the independence of the judiciary was scaring some US investors from doing business in Cameroon.
Ambassador Lamora described Cameroonian journalists as committed and dedicated professionals, noting that they are very cautious not to attract any sanctions from the National Communication Council. This is somewhat a palliative euphemism to the effect that Cameroonian journalists are not totally free. He commended Cameroon’s pluralistic media landscape, observing that it offers Cameroonians a wide array of information options. The diplomat told journalists that he has affiliated with Cameroon on and off for close to 35 years. He said he started his careers in Douala in 1992 where he lived for 18 months and is now leaving Cameroon after having served as Ambassador for close to four years. He says he wishes that the relations between the United States and Cameroon continue to wax louder, especially in the areas of security and public health. He regretted that he did not have another opportunity to visit the ten regions of Cameroon like he had done before. According to Ambassador Lamora, one of his best days in life was in 2022 when he was officially assigned to serve as the US Ambassador to Cameroon.