AFCON 2023: Yaounde-Paris relations in danger!.

This comes after the media organ aired a script Tuesday January 23, during which it used the flag of the separatist movement in the North West and South West Regions, to refer to Cameroon.

The unexpected broadcast during a programme dubbed: “64 Le Monde en Français”, was focused on the ongoing 34^th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON. 

While commenting on Cameroon’s squad at the tournament, TV5 Monde used the separatist Ambazonia flag. 

Relations between Yaounde and Paris, have since the publication of the separatist flag on TV5 gone sour.

A barrage of reactions from the government have come from the National Communication Council, NCC, Cameroon’s Embassy in France and the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman. 

Releases from the institutions yesterday condemned the broadcast, saying it misrepresented Cameroon and tarnished the country’s image. 

Both the NCC and Cameroon’s Embassy in Paris have asked for immediate explanations and apology.

According to an NCC release, signed by its President, Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubsu, Cameroon was “represented by a flag that is not hers and which is misleading”.

The misleading flag characterised by sky blue and white stripes, he said, was used contrary to the official green, red, yellow and gold star on red stripe flag.

“Conversely to the image that was shown during this programme, the official emblem of Cameroon is a rectangle of equal sides with the colours: green, red and yellow, with a gold star centered on the red stripe, as enshrined by the fundamental law of Cameroon,” the NCC President hammered.

The NCC boss has gone further to request the management of TV5 Monde to “provide appropriate explanations for this indiscretion, without delay”.

Cameroon Ambassador to France denounces incident

In the same vein, Cameroon’s Ambassador to France, Andre Magnus Ekoumou, for his part has quarreled the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, on the issue. He urged the French official to denounce the incident.

In the petition, a copy of which The Guardian Post has seen, the Ambassador insisted that the flag attributed to Cameroon during the analysis of the final round of group matches of the 34^th AFCON, was a false representation. 

“To illustrate their comments, the two journalists on set showed a table summarising the results of the matches in progress, including Cameroon's. This is where a flag, supposedly representing Cameroon, appeared next to the team,” the diplomat noted. 

He further explained that: “This emblem, easily recognisable by national and international public opinion, in fact represents the banner of a terrorist and secessionist group, operating in the western part of Cameroon, whose members are commonly known as ‘Ambazonians’”.

Attack on Cameroon’s image, sovereignty

While regretting that the action of the television channel has tarnished Cameroon’s image, Ambassador Ekoumou called for the respect of Cameroon’s sovereignty. 

“The government of Cameroon strongly condemns and denounces this serious misunderstanding by TV5 Monde, which is highly regrettable and highly prejudicial to Cameroon's international image, and calls for respect for its sovereignty and coat of arms,” the diplomat implored. 

In order to preserve the good relations that have united France and Cameroon, the Cameroonian representative has called on the French Minister to immediately order TV5 Monde to withdraw all extracts of the unfortunate oversight from all its platforms and for corrections to be effected immediately where necessary. 

He reminded the French authority that the official flag of Cameroon is the tricolor green-red-yellow vertical flag of equal stripes, with a gold star in the middle of the red stripe.

TV5 Monde apologises 

 In the face of backlash after the broadcast, the French media organ has issued a statement presenting apologies to Cameroon. The same communique also expressed regret to the Republic of Guinea, which flag was equally misrepresented during the same programme.

“TV5 Monde sincerely apologises to both countries-Cameroon and Guinea-Conakry, for the errors made in a table presenting the matches in progress of the AFCON, the Africa Cup of Nations 2023,” partly reads the communique from the media house. 

The media organ stated that, “the flags shown were not those of the countries concerned. TV5 Monde is aware of the seriousness of this error”.

According to the media outfit, the “lack of vigilance” in the production chain led to the unfortunate incident. 

It restated that: “TV5 Monde is aware of the emotion caused by its error, particularly in Cameroon, and will scrupulously ensure that it uses the one and only flag enshrined in the fundamental law of the Republic of Cameroon, the green-red-yellow flag with a gold star”.

Enter MINCOM boss

In a release issued by the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, also called for an immediate rectification of what he described as an “unfortunate blunder which is prejudicial to the honour and sovereignty of the Republic of Cameroon and confuses national and international opinion”. 

He said government has already contacted TV5 Monde to ensure that all measures are taken to prevent any recurrence of this kind, both on TV5 Monde's airwaves and on all social network accounts published by the media organ.