Cameroonian diplomats in Canada forced to leave

In Ottawa, several diplomatic missions are at bay. For two or three years, the Canadian Government has assumed the right not to renew the accreditation of experience diplomats that their country wants to retain in the Canadian capital.

These diplomats have broken no law, and have respected the rules, but they are being shown the door because the federal government thinks that they have been in the country for too long.

African countries will be particularly affected, according to a diplomatic source who requested anonymity. She cited the embassies of Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe. Most have refused to oblige, judging from the sensitive nature of the issue. L’actualité however, confirmed the cases of Cameroonian and Ivorian diplomats who have been forced to pack their bags.

This new approach of the Canadian government creates worry and frustration. In the immediate future, said an African diplomat, this translates into a loss of valuable expertise for countries with limited means. Expertise often difficult to be replaced by the governments that had not prepared a change of custody.

Our source said what was more shocking were the few cases that Canada seems to make the sovereignty of States. "Canada wants to impose on other countries their diplomatic staff rotation. It is interference in their affairs."

Another diplomat also recounted seeing two of his colleagues leave in this way in the beginning of this year. "No other country has refused, to our knowledge, to extend accreditation if the person has not committed any crime or broken any law. Even Canada has not stated precisely, the maximum time of stay for diplomats."

Ottawa has a clear procedure for the renewal of diplomatic accreditation, but mentions no limit on the number of years of service in Canada.

It reads:

"The Department has noted that the vast majority of the transfer of states deploys their assignment employees to Canada for periods of two to five years. In this regard, the Department will continue to grant accreditation to bilateral diplomats, their administrative and technical staff as well as members of the service staff, based on the principle that they are rotated regularly and that no one is deployed for extended periods or indefinitely. In the case of foreign representatives whose assignment is extended beyond the notional period of five years and, for the sake of clarity, the Department may apply for an extension of the assignment confirmation by sending a Note directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the sending State.”

In fact, several countries keep diplomats in intermediate ranks for several years because rotation is expensive and that these employees develop the expertise they need. This is common with developing countries. But missions cannot predict which will see its mandate renewed or not, even when the procedure is followed with a letter, which poses a problem for the less wealthy countries.

That is not all. When the Canadian Government does not renew a diplomatic term, it does not always take white gloves. A diplomat in Canada more than 10 years has to provide the date of departure and flight number, for fear of turning into an illegal immigrant.

According to African diplomats contacted, the way Canada is acting goes against the essence, if not the letter, two of the Vienna conventions governing diplomatic relations and consular practices.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to comment on the situation, limiting himself by referring us to the existing rules.