By DOH JAMES SONKEY
The government of Cameroon is for the very first time inviting its over 5 million Diaspora population back home for a forum dubbed FODIAS scheduled to hold from June 28-30, 2017 at the Yaoundé Conference Centre.
Speaking at a press conference attended also by Communication Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in charge of the Commonwealth, Dion Ngute, Secretary General of the Ministry of External Relations, Felix Mbayu, External Relations Minister, Lejeune Mbella Mbella stressed that “the forum is so dear to the President of the Republic, H.E Paul Biya who constantly takes into account the difficulties and needs of the Diaspora.”
Placed under the theme “Cameroon and its Diaspora: working together for the development of the Nation,” the first Cameroon Diaspora Forum is aimed at presenting government’s initiatives in favour of its Diaspora, to increase awareness of the Diaspora and to ensure the visibility of its actions in favour of Cameroon’s development and to set up a platform for communication and exchanges in order to improve conditions for an inclusive dialogue that would make it possible to capitalize the assets of this specific component of the nation for the development of the country.
While inviting the Cameroon Diaspora to actively participate at the forum, Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella expressed hope to see that by the end of it, a committee to monitor and evaluate the implementation of projects is created, a framework for permanent dialogue between the Government and its Diaspora through the Department of Cameroonians Abroad, is created, a database of all skills in all possible fields of Cameroonians abroad is created and finally to see into it that the Diaspora is greatly involved in local development back home.
The move that comes on the heels of fierce participation of the Diaspora in the ongoing Anglophone socio-political crisis and an outright condemnation of the regime by some citizens abroad is interpreted as an attempt to woo them in prelude to the 2018 presidential election in the country.
The SUN gathered that most citizens travel abroad out of frustration back home and are scared of returning home for any investment because the government is yet to accept dual nationality, thus they turn to look at the regime with a lot of suspicion.
The forum will be preceded by a pre-forum intended to help participants hold “B” to “B” meetings with national institutions competent in the realization of selected projects and to better present the know-how of Cameroon Diaspora to the national public and international partners.