(Business in Cameroon) - Rwandan Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), was received on May 24 in Yaoundé by President Paul Biya. The OIF member came to inquire about the political and security situation in the country, particularly the fight against the terrorist group Boko Haram and the situation in the northwest and southwest regions, according to a Presidencial statement.

“I learned a lot, I had a lot of information,” said Louise Mushikiwabo. Leveraging her experience as former Foreign Minister of Rwanda and being a national from the sub-region, the OIF SG recalled that Cameroon is a “base country” for Central Africa and needs peace and stability. She promised Cameroon can count on the support of La Francophonie since the organization is willing to help the country find solutions to its current challenges “in a useful way.”

Cameroon has been experiencing a security crisis in its northwest and southwest regions for the past three years with secessionist claims. After 20 months’ riots, the International Crisis Group counts 1,850 dead, 530,000 internally displaced persons and 35,000 Cameroonian refugees in neighboring Nigeria.

In the Far North, Boko Haram continues to carry out attacks against military and civilians, but the extent of incidents has recently been limited. In the East, the large number of refugees is at the edge of an unstable situation.

According to UNHCR, Cameroon is currently hosting 350,000 refugees from the Central African Republic and Nigeria, with about 10,000 new arrivals since the beginning of 2018.

S.A