France’s Ambassador to Cameroon, Sylvain Riquier, recently addressed questions regarding President Emmanuel Macron’s decision not to issue a public congratulatory message to President Paul Biya following Cameroon’s October 2025 presidential election. This topic was explored during a broadcast of the program La Vérité en face on Sunday, July 19, 2026.
In previous electoral cycles, such as the 2018 presidential vote, France typically extended congratulatory letters within days of the Constitutional Council’s official results. However, following the October 2025 presidential election, this pattern shifted significantly. The Elysée adopted a noticeably reserved stance, refraining from an immediate endorsement of the official figures.
This departure from tradition prompted questions during the La Vérité en face broadcast. Ambassador Sylvain Riquier, who had arrived in Cameroon only days before the October 12, 2025 election, responded cautiously to inquiries about Paris’s silence.
strong relations between Yaoundé and Paris endure
“I don’t believe I’ve seen a public letter. You would have seen it too,” Ambassador Riquier stated to journalist Duval Fangwa during the program. When asked if the French President’s silence indicated any strain in the diplomatic relationship between Paris and Yaoundé, the diplomat maintained a measured tone.
“There was no public letter at that time. That’s it,” he affirmed succinctly, quickly adding that the relationship between Yaoundé and Paris remains strong. “We acknowledged that the election took place. I believe this does not hinder our ongoing cooperation with the authorities. I am here, and I have a Cameroonian counterpart in Paris.”
diplomatic exchanges extend to national celebrations
“Cooperation between our two nations continues. There is no reason for doubt. The absence of a letter does not prevent normal relations between our two states, our two governments, and our two presidents. I believe the President of the French Republic did not deem it necessary to issue a public letter. Cooperation is ongoing; there have been exchanges of letters during our respective national holidays,” Sylvain Riquier further explained.
