The Diplomatic Notes: Insights into the Republic of Cameroon’s Diplomatic Missions and Relations with Other Countries

2023-10-07 10:02:27

The document published below is the preface to the work that His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Cameroon to Senegal will soon publish. Dean of the diplomatic corps in Senegal, Mr. Jean Koé Ntonga has resided in our country for more than 15 years. It is also accredited in Mali, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia and Cape Verde. We suspect that all these representations offer him a certain vision of the diplomacy of his country, and of the relations that the latter wishes to maintain with the countries in which he serves.

All this made it possible to produce hundreds of speeches, addresses, speeches of which the head of the diplomatic mission was kind enough to give a certain scoop to the readers of the newspaper Le Quotidien. We are convinced that they will fully appreciate the depth of these “Diplomatic Notes” from Ambassador Jean Koé Ntonga.

After careful consideration, I decided to publish some of the speeches delivered and interventions and communications made in Cameroon or as ambassador in the countries where I represented the Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya , and the government, from December 1996 to date, almost 24 years (1).

These “outings” by the ambassador are essential. They are an integral part of the activities of the head of mission. They arise from the information and communication role that it must play at all levels.

A State clerk belonging to the corps of diplomatic officials reporting to the Ministry of External Relations, Ministry of Sovereignty, the ambassador applies the instructions of the government. However, he has the ability to discriminate, judge, make informed decisions and report to this government.

Indeed, through his political and diplomatic, economic, socio-cultural and consular missions, the ambassador informs the government of the political, economic and socio-cultural situation of Senegal, as well as the life and consular problems of the Cameroonian communities. living in this country and in other countries of accreditation or jurisdiction.

In return, the ambassador informs the government of Senegal and those of other countries, as well as diplomatic missions, international organizations and Cameroonian communities, of the political, economic and socio-cultural situation prevailing in Cameroon.

Countries of accreditation: Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Mali and Mauritania
Country of Jurisdiction: Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
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The ambassador must treat and manage the embassy staff and members of the Cameroonian community as a good father. It must promote the policy of humanism, solidarity and living together within this community. He organizes receptions on the occasion of end-of-year celebrations or retirements for embassy staff, without forgetting help to compatriots in distress or visits to those who are sick in hospitals or in prison.

Through his speeches, the ambassador, a man of contacts and dialogue, is also a communicator. He presents and explains to his interlocutors government policy, as well as the action and administrative and consular management of the embassy. He plays transparency with his compatriots, whom he receives in audience to resolve personal problems and those of the Cameroonian community.

By opening the doors of the embassy to all his compatriots, without distinction, the ambassador thus establishes a new state of mind and new governance of the diplomatic and consular mission.

The ambassador organizes the Cameroonian community, explains and justifies its necessity and merits. It encourages the creation of Cameroonian associations (students, athletes, women, economic operators, etc.) by once once more instilling the spirit of patriotism, solidarity and living together within these associations.

The ambassador’s mission is to invite his compatriots to consider themselves, not as a colony, but as a community that integrates and lives, not in isolation, but in osmosis and harmony with the nationals of the host countries with whom they can enter into marriages and have children. They must contribute and participate in the economic and socio-cultural development of the countries of residence. Finally, they must live in peace and refrain from committing anti-economic and anti-social acts in these friendly countries.
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Through his personal behavior, his speeches, interventions, communications, circulars and memos, the ambassador must advocate, ensure respect and apply by all his collaborators, administrative ethics and diplomatic ethics whose objective is the achievement an unfailing professional conscience thanks to life values ​​and human qualities such as diligence and punctuality at work, availability and helpfulness, moral probity, self-sacrifice and disinterestedness and, finally, efficiency in action, optimum performance and service well done.

The ambassador’s speeches on the occasion of the National Day, the Youth Day or other public events in which he takes part, are followed with particular attention by the numerous assistance of officials, diplomats, compatriots and other guests.

The ambassador’s mission is to promote and strengthen the spirit of patriotism and love of the Fatherland. His speeches and interventions are permanent invitations to respect and defend the institutions of the Republic of which the Head of State is the incarnation and guarantor of peace and security, territorial integrity, indivisibility and sovereignty of the Nation.

He has the duty to fight once morest tribalism and the spirit of exclusion and division among his compatriots. He must encourage them to stay periodically in Cameroon. It must promote the organization of a dynamic diaspora which, through regular remittances, helps families and contributes to the economic, cultural and social development of the country.

Through his speeches and interventions, the ambassador must advocate and exalt the spirit of civic-mindedness, respect for the authorities, laws and regulations of the host countries, and invite Cameroonians to practice the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of these countries which grant them generous hospitality while benefiting from the concern of the authorities.
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The ambassador’s non-participation in painful events (deaths, vigils and lifting of bodies) raises troubling questions, because he necessarily speaks there to present his condolences to the families of the deceased and to lavish on his compatriots the virtues and benefits of mutual aid and solidarity materialized by the quests and contributions of each other to help families in distress, take care of various expenses and allow the repatriation of the bodies to Cameroon or their dignified and honorable burial on site.

A man of compromise, the ambassador is also a man of consensus. He must demonstrate this in everyday life, more particularly in terms of conflict resolution. Since the end of the East-West Cold War in 1989-1990, consensus has not become the golden rule of the contemporary world exalted by peace-loving men and by the United Nations.

By his actions, the ambassador is an auxiliary of Justice who, through dialogue and conciliation, reaches out to everyone to find, through peaceful means, compromise solutions, taking into account the interests of the parties. in conflict. The path of palaver, the path of wisdom and reason, must be his predilection in accordance with the saying, “a bad palaver is better than good justice or a bad arrangement is better than a good trial”.

Residing in the political and administrative capital of the host country, the ambassador must make visits to the interior to meet and interact with regional, departmental and municipal authorities, as well as with his compatriots living in these localities. The speeches, interventions and exchanges with each other, and the welcome received on these occasions demonstrate and strengthen the friendship and understanding between his compatriots, the authorities and nationals, as well as the quality of friendly and of cooperation between Cameroon and the receiving countries.
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The ambassador’s speeches, interventions and exchanges are marked with the seal of verbal elegance and the quality of the words chosen, all intended to avoid any slippage and any diplomatic incident with his interlocutors, because if the pen is used and the free speech, the ambassador must use his language well, which is that of courtesy and diplomacy. In application of the government’s instructions and through his speeches, interventions and actions, the ambassador translates into practice the policy of friendship, understanding and cooperation that Cameroon maintains with the other members of the international community, in with a view to meeting the political and security, economic and socio-cultural challenges they face. The fight once morest terrorist movements, Islamic sects and all forms of religious fundamentalism, on the one hand, the promotion of peace, unity and development of our States and the progress of our peoples, on the other share and, finally, the strengthening of ties of friendship and cooperation, solidarity and understanding in Africa and in the world, constitute the ultimate objectives assigned to our diplomatic mission.
Etc, etc.
Jean KOE NTONGA
Minister Plenipotentiary Off Scale
Ambassador of Cameroon, Dean of
Diplomatic Corps accredited in Senegal

1696676234
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