On the side-lines of the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York, the President of the Republic His Excellency Paul BIYA granted audiences to three African Heads and to a high level US Diplomat.
The first audience President Paul BIYA had was with H.E. Faure GNASSINGBE, President of the Republic of Togo. Faure GNASSINGBE was interim President of Togo from 7 to 25 February 2005. He has been re-elected three times on the 24 April 2005, 4 March 2010 and 24 April 2015.
President GNASSINGBE participated at the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission on Maritime Safety and Security of the Gulf of Guinea that held in Yaoundé on 24 and 25 June 2013.
Togo is preparing to host the summit on Maritime Safety and Security and the Development of Africa, from the 10 to the 15 October 2016.
President Paul BIYA then had discussions with H.E. Faustin Archange TOADERA, President of the Central African Republic.
Faustin Archange TOUADERA, who was one time Prime Minister of his country, was elected President of the Central African Republic on 14 February 2016. He did part his studies in the University of Yaoundé.
Immediately after the audience, President TOUADERA told the Cameroonian press that he had come to express his gratitude and that of the people of the Central African Republic to the Cameroonian Head of State, for the solidarity and the invaluable support given to the Central African Republic to regain its stability and constitutional legality.
Since 2008, Cameroonian soldiers are deployed in the Central African Republic to consolidate peace.
H.E. Roch Marc Christian KABORE, President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, was the third African Head of State to be received in audience by President Paul BIYA on Friday 23 September 2016, at the Warldof Astoria Hotel.
Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected President of the Republic of Burkina Faso on 29 November 2015, after being Prime Minister of his country from 22 March 1994 to 6 February 1996 and then Speaker of the National Assembly from 6 June 2002 to 28 December 2012.
The fourth personality to be received in audience by the Head of State on 23 September 2016 was Madam Samantha POWER, the American Ambassador to the United Nations since 2013.
At the end of the audience, Samantha POWER told the press that the United States and Cameroon have solid friendship and cooperation ties. She quoted the invitation of President Paul BIYA to the Summit on refugees organised by President Barack OBAMA on 20 September 2016; the invitation of the Presidential Couple to the reception offered by the President of the United States and Madam Michelle OBAMA in honour of Heads of State and Government on the occasion of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly and the invitation of President Paul BIYA to the US – Africa Business Forum which took place in New York on 21 September 2016.
It should be recalled that Samantha POWER was received in audience at Unity Palace by President Paul BIYA on 19 April 2016.
