CEMAC meeting: Biya encourages living together, collective fight for peace

By Nukapuh P.

President Paul Biya, Chair of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC , during their conference of Heads of States has urged his peers to come together, so that they can fight insecurity and restore peace in the CEMAC subregion.

Biya was speaking Friday March 17, 2023 at the Unity Palace in Yaounde during the 15th ordinary session of the CEMAC conference of Heads of States.

The session brought together all 6 presidents that make up the CEMAC subregion – Paul Biya of Cameroon, Mahamat Idriss of Chad, Ali Bongo of Gabon, Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, Faustin Archange of Centra Africain Republic and Denis Sassou of the Republic of Congo.

“Insecurity caused by internal and cross-border armed groups roaming our sub-region definitely features among the threats looming over the development of CEMAC. Their activities are all the more dangerous as one of their attacks cost the life of our late brother President Idriss Deby Itno. They have compelled our states to make huge sacrifices in terms of security spending. Although we have made major strides here and there, we need to stay on the alert and not relent in our efforts,” Biya said in his opening speech.

Citing the case of Boko Haram, Biya added that “we should stay true to our national and community commitments in order to restore peace and progress in our countries and our sub-region.To this end, solidarity should be the watchword.”

The Chair of the CEMAC conference of Heads of State went further in his speech to hilight the impact of the war in Ukraine and covid-19 which have greatly led to a hike in good and energy prices even in the CEMAC subregion.

Adding to the need for cross-border security and living together in the CEMAC subregion, President Paul Biya brought to the table of discussion the need for a CEMAC biometric passport.

“We will also need to accelerate the release of the CEMAC biometric passport. All these actions will foster better intermeshing of our states, increase movement of people and goods as well as improve performance of our economies.”

During the session, the Presidents also discussed trading projects that can foster integration in the CEMAC subregion.

The 15th ordinary session of the CEMAC conference of Heads of States took place this year in-person after it was suspended due to the outbreak of the Corona virus.