Paul Biya’s Peacemaking Role In Africa

President Paul counts to his credit a number of initiatives aimed at ensuring a peaceful Africa. According to the special edition of the magazine, “Hommage à la Republique” (Tribute to the Republic), with the headline, “100 Actions Of President Paul Biya In Favour Of Peace,” such range from ensuring peaceful transition of power, peacekeeping, resolution of border conflicts, to continental peace-building.

Power Tussle, Gabon’s Transition

The first significant conflict resolution initiative taken by the Head of State in the Central African sub-region was in Gabon in June 2009. The death of long-serving leader, Omar Bongo Ondimba, resulted in a tussle for power, with the major protagonists being his close aides and children. It took the timely intervention of President Biya for the crisis not to degenerate into open, violent confrontation. At the end, Ali Bongo, son of the late President, was chosen as successor, after Biya held talks with major Gabonese political stakeholders and sub-regional leaders, notes “Hommage à la Republique.”

CAR Elections, Peacekeeping

In the Central African Republic, CAR, Cameroon has contributed financially and militarily to the relative restoration of peace and stability. Cameroon offered 1 billion FCFA as support to the February 2016 electoral process. An amount of 131 million FCFA was similarly offered to enable the CAR government and stakeholders hold peace talks in Sudan. In the area of peacekeeping, Cameroon has deployed several contingents – first, as part of an African peacekeeping initiative, and later, as part of the United Na...