Maurice Kamto distances self from his MP's accusation of the French

Maurice Kamto, National President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) party has dissociated the party from declarations made by his Member of Parliament Lazare Soupo accusing France and Chad as being the source of the socio-political and religious instability in the Central African Republic.

Soupo made the statement during a plenary session of the National Assembly on Nov. 28, a session that was dedicated to seeking ways of assisting the Cameroon military in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram.

Soupo had said the French were partly responsible for the instability in the CAR and Boko Haram incursions in the Far North of Cameroon.

The session attended by top government officials and foreign diplomats to Yaoundé, saw the French representative walk out in protest.

The MRC party has now formerly distanced itself from the statement in a press release made public by Maurice Kamto.

In the press release, Kamto reiterates MCR’s total support of Cameroon defence forces and the solidarity of the population in the frontier zones as well as the affected families.

“Beyond the relations that exist between the government of Cameroon and its bilateral and multilateral partners and more especially France, we appreciate and encourage the efforts and means made available to Cameroon and other countries in the sub region to fight terrorism in all its forms.” Said Kamto.

Since the incident occurred, the French embassy in Yaounde has not made any statement. According to sources, top government officials, amongst them Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, President of the National Assembly contacted the French Ambassador to Cameroon to express regrets on the MP’s statement.

Cavaye said it does not in any way reflect the view of Cameroon authorities vis-sa-vis France’s role in the fight against Boko Haram.

In the wake of the incident, it should be recalled that the French President Francois Hollande addressed a message to his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya through the President of the French National Assembly, Claude Bartolone stressing France’s support for Cameroon in the fight against Boko Haram.