October 12 poll: US skips election victory, congratulates Biya on inauguration.

The outing of the US government via the country’s Embassy in Yaounde, was issued same day Biya was sworn in for a record eighth term as President of the Republic of Cameroon.

The US is among several other nations, including the United Kingdom, UK, South Africa, Nigeria, that have not publicly congratulated Biya after the Constitutional Council declared him winner of the disputed October 12 presidential election.

Relations between Cameroon and the United States have strained over the years, with Cameroon turning to China and Russia for international cooperation.

US President, Donald Trump, and his Cameroonian counterpart, Biya, have rarely met since the former came to power.

In their outing last Friday, the United States, via its Embassy in Yaounde, merely said it was congratulating: “President Paul Biya on his inauguration”. 

The US, which is one of the world’s super powers, noted that: “We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Cameroon to advance shared goals such as regional peace and security and prosperity for both our peoples”.

The United States established diplomatic relations with Cameroon in 1960, following the independence of the French-administered part of the country.  

US officials say relations with Cameroon are positive, although they have been adversely affected by concerns over human rights abuses, in particular in the North West and South West Regions, and the pace of political and economic liberalisation.  

Cameroon plays a key role in regional stability and remains a regional partner in countering terrorism in the Lake Chad Region. 

The United States and Cameroon are closely engaged on issues that address democracy and governance, health, regional security, humanitarian assistance, and environmental protection.

The US government provides health assistance to Cameroon, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Health Security Agenda, the President’s Malaria Initiative and other global health programs, and works across five US government agencies to support Cameroon’s national HIV and TB programs.  

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, has provided assistance to Cameroon since 1989 and works in coordination with the US Agency for International Development to support the Cameroon government’s efforts to combat HIV, malaria, and other public health threats.  

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Centre for Disease Control, CDC and USAID improve Cameroon’s health sector by strengthening laboratory, surveillance, emergency management and workforce capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks. 

In the last twenty years, the United States has provided over $500 million in health assistance to Cameroon. USAID and the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration support humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations by addressing food insecurity and malnutrition, providing health services, supporting agricultural production, and improving livelihoods through support to meet the basic needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable host communities. 

US Peace Corps works in six Regions, to improve community health, education, and agriculture.

The United States and Cameroon signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty    in 1986 that came into force in 1989.

 Cameroon is currently the United States’ 128th largest goods trading partner with US goods exports to Cameroon totaling $200 million and goods imports from Cameroon totaling $330 million in 2019.

Cameroon and the United States belong to many of the same international organisations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organisation.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3621 of Monday November 10, 2025