Published: Just now
French President Emmanuel Macron is in Cameroon, the first stop on a trip to Africa where he is expected to speak about the food crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Many countries in Africa have been hit hard by the food crisis, in part because they import large amounts of grain from Russia and Ukraine.
Macron will stay in the capital Yaounde for three days, before heading to Benin and Guinea Bissau.
When Cameroon’s government was beautifying the capital ahead of the presidential visit, several hundred temporary market stalls were demolished on all the streets that Macron passes.
– They have destroyed my only source of income, says 28-year-old Solange Kemje, whose stall was demolished.
Other Cameroonians welcomed the visit, hoping Macron would provide help in the face of the threat of increased jihadist violence spilling over from neighboring Nigeria.
In Cameroon, a conflict between the armed forces and English-speaking separatists has also been going on for five years. The conflict has killed at least 3,300 people and forced over 750,000 to flee.
Security issues are therefore also expected to be high on the agenda when Macron talks to Cameroon’s 89-year-old President Paul Biya, who has been in power for almost 40 years.