Foreign Affairs

Other International Organizations

Foreign Policy

Cameroon's non-contentious, low-profile approach to foreign relations puts it squarely in the middle of other African and developing country states on major issues. It supports the principles of non-interference in the affairs of third world countries and increased assistance to underdeveloped countries. Cameroon is an active participant in the United Nations, where its voting record demonstrates its commitment to causes that include international peacekeeping, the rule of law, environmental protection, and Third World economic development.

In the UN and other human rights fora, Cameroon's non-confrontational approach has generally led it to avoid criticizing other countries. Cameroon enjoys good relations with the United States and other developed countries, as well as its African neighbours. It also supports UN peacekeeping activities in Central Africa.

International disputes

Delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is complete and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula and Lake Chad is currently before the ICJ, as is a dispute with Equatorial Guinea over the exclusive maritime economic zone. As of October 10, 2012, it has been resolved that Cameroon own Bakassi.

Cameroon also faces a complaint filed with the African Commission on Human Rights by the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) and the Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation (SCAPO) against the Government of the Republic of Cameroon, in which the complainants allege the Republic of Cameroon is illegally occupying the territory of Southern Cameroons. The SCNC and SCAPO ultimately seek the independence of the territory of Southern Cameroons. As of 2008, both parties have submitted briefs and responded to the Human Rights Commissions' inquiries. A ruling by the African Commission on Human Rights is awaited.

Bilateral relationships
Cameroon maintains significant bilateral relations with several countries.

People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China has a number of health and infrastructure projects underway in Cameroon. In January 2007, China signed a series of economic agreements with Cameroon, giving more than $54 million in loans.

Equatorial Guinea
Cameroon has a dispute with Equatorial Guinea over the exclusive maritime economic zone, which is currently before the ICJ. They also have a dispute over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River.

France
Cameroon has particularly close ties with France, with whom it has numerous military, economic, and cultural agreements.

Nigeria
Cameroon is engaged in a sporadic armed conflict with Nigeria in the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula. The dispute was resolved through the 2006 Greentree Agreement which led to the full withdrawal of Nigerian troops from the region and its administrative transfer back to Cameroon in August 2013.The two countries agree on maritime delimitation.

Russia

Russia has an embassy in Yaoundé, and Cameroon has an embassy in Moscow.

United States
The bilateral U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program in Cameroon closed for budgetary reasons in 1994.

Canada
Cameroon and Canada have established diplomatic ties since 1962 with three agreements and four protocols signed in 1965. Both countries share the use of English and French as the two official languages as well as memberships in the Francophonie and the Commonwealth.

Multilateral relations
In addition to the United Nations, Cameroon is very active in other multilateral organisations or global institutions such as the Francophonie, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States.