Biya's suspension of ECCAS-CEMAC summit in Yaounde raises eyebrows.

The group includes six CEMAC countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. ECCAS is made up of Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe

The objective is to cement a broader regional economic community, with mission "to promote cooperation and the strengthening of regional integration in all areas of political, security, economic, monetary, financial, social, cultural, scientific and technical activity with a view to achieve collective self-reliance and, to raise the standard of living of the people".

Other goals are to increase and maintain economic stability, to strengthen and preserve the close peaceful relations between Member States and to contribute to the progress and development of the African continent.

The community also has the mission to dump the FCFA and create a single currency for financial sovereignty, collective autonomy and economic stability for its members.

The summit was planned last year at a ministerial meeting of the Steering Committee for the Rationalisation of Central Africa's Regional Economic Communities on principles like progressiveness, fiscal sustainability, and solidarity.

Everything was going according to plan for President Biya to host the crucial summit. There were reports that the President of the CEMAC Commission, Baltasar Engonga Edjo'o, was personally overseeing the final adjustments with experts in Douala early this year, demonstrating the strategic importance of this summit for sub regional integration and the ratification of common structures.

On March 5 this year, Edjo'o had an audience with Minister if Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, who was reportedly briefed about preparations for the summit and other developments as well as the challenges being encountered in regional integration issues.

But on Thursday, the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, acting on "high instructions" from President Paul Biya, wrote to the Minister of the Economy Planning and Regional Development, postponing the summit sine die.

The letter trending in the social media with some reports referring to it as a "piece of political theatre" does not give any reason for the change, thus raising eyebrows about the "inaccessibility" of the Unity Palace occupant, especially on the eve of a make-or-mar presidential poll with mounting pressure on two sides on the incumbent.

On one side, others say at 92 and over four decades in office, nature has taken a toll for him to have the stamina to govern again and he deserves a blessed retirement. The second school of thought is mostly by those reaping from the system counter, who profess that he is a "God-chosen" leader and still has the endurance and experience to mount the soap box in a campaign trail for another term. Only time will vindicate the truth.

What is shocking within the diplomatic milieu is that there is no reason for the postponement and no date scheduled, which left many unanswered questions and speculations.

Is it that there is no money to host summit delegations given the October 12 president election in which the government will have to spend a fortune? Is it because of the "inaccessibility" of the Head of State, which has been in public debate since the former government spokesman, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, indicted him after resigning?

Even if he could not personally preside, would President Biya not have delegated any of his ministers to stand in for him as has been observed in other important international events such as the swearing in of Philemon Yang, his nominee to the United General Assembly Presidency, and the Pope Leo’s installation mass? 

Is it a subterranean sabotage by France, given that the success of the merger of CEMAC and ECCAS will lead to the demise of the Franc CFA, which has been criticised as a neocolonial string used to manipulate the economy and even choice of leaders in some Francophone countries?

Without Yaounde providing reasons for the postponement in the laconic statement to the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development and a new date, this brews suspicion and even cynical concerns that will continue to swirl in diplomatic circles and public debate.

Such a bleak atmosphere, according to some reports, "risks curbing the political momentum around the regional economic communities’ unification project".

A summit that groups some 20 Heads of State and international bodies, planned for over a year, and with the paramount objectives of ensuring security, political stability and transformation of local products which tallies with Cameroon's import substitution policy, cannot just be suspended indefinitely. Yaounde should reschedule it sooner than later, as being the big boy of CEMAC it should have the magnanimity and reliable leadership responsibility.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3503 of Monday July 14, 2025