USAFRICOM Commander at Unity Palace

An audience was granted to General David RODRIGUEZ, Commander of the US Africa Command (USAFRICOM), by President Paul Biya to advance the partnership between Cameroon and the United States of America in the fight against Boko Haram.

The audience at Unity Palace on Friday, October 16, 2015, was also attended by the US Ambassador to Cameroon, Michael HOZA.

Speaking to the press shortly after the meeting, General RODRIGUEZ reaffirmed the partnership of the United States of America with Cameroon in the fight against Boko Haram. He expressed his "sincere condolences to the families of soldiers and civilians who have been killed as a result of the activities of the terrorists."

The General talked about the importance of intelligence in the face of the present tactics used by Boko Haram which has resorted to suicide bombings to instil fear in the population. The partnership with Cameroon, he went on, "will be enhanced to include training of soldiers to handle explosives and to detect the enemy."

At the end of the discussion, General Rodriguez exchanged gifts with the President of the Republic, as a sign of the profound friendship between Cameroon and the United States of America.