State House : Outgoing French Ambassador Says Goodbye

Bilateral relations between Cameroon and France have once again come under review, this time around at Cameroon’s State House. This was on Friday August 29, 2025 during a farewell audience President Paul Biya granted the outgoing French Ambassador to Cameroon, Thierry Marchand, who has served his country here for the past three years. 
The duration of the audience – 90 minutes, and the visible joy on the faces of the two officials spoke volumes of the discussions. Understandable why the outgoing French diplomat told the press thereafter that he and President Paul Biya took time off to go through varied issues of common concerns. “It was a very important appointment for me because I am at the end of my mission here in Cameroon. It was a good way for me to say goodbye to the President and to have a very deep discussion about our relationship. When I arrived here three years ago, it was just after the visit of President Emmanuel Macron and I had a clear vision of my mission. Today, we had an interesting discussion about this roadmap and I am very happy to see that a lot of issues have been achieved during this period,” he said.
Logically, the recently carried investigation on France’s role and involvement in the fight for independence in Cameroon between 1945 and 1971 stands out among the happenings between the two countries during the last three years. The results which were presented to Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace in Paris, France on January 21, 2025 and to Paul Biya at Unity Palace in Yaounde on January 28 gave a clear picture of the good, the bad and ugly side of the past. It was indeed the materialisation of the two leader’s commitment taken during an official visit of President Macron to Yaounde in July 2022 when they pledged to work together to better understand the past so as to build bridges of peace and mutual love. The promise of Presidents Paul Biya and Emmanuel Macron to uncover the past, irrespective of its dark side, lends credence to their determination to forge a common and better future for the countries and peoples. President Macron’s July 30, 2025 letter to President Paul Biya officially acknowledging the role France’s...