Rebuilding ties

in 1972. Moreover, the country made considerable efforts to make this event a success. Cameroon has, among other things, benefited from the help and expertise of Chinese companies. Indeed, China Machinery Engineering Corp. (CMEC) built two 20,000-seat sports stadiums in Limbe and Bafoussam in preparations for the CAN.

A few days after being stripped of its holding rights for the 2019 CAN, Prime Minister Philémon Yang met with the CAN Central Organizing Committee on December 5, 2018. The meeting, over which he presided, examined the reasons behind this withdrawal, and identified which measures should be taken in the future. Ministers involved in the CAN organization agreed that Cameroon was not ready to hold the competition. This is due to misunderstandings, disagreements and even clashes between different offices and administrations. This led to a number of delays in the decision-making process. Louis Paul Motazé, Cameroon’s Minister of Finance, for example, revealed that he had been asked to pay for projects that were completely unrelated to the specifications required by the CAF.

Motazé also proposed to carry out a review of all ongoing projects under construction, in order to prevent any further wasting of resources and increase in costs. Yang also ordered construction works to continue and even to be accelerated with an aim of completing their delivery by the end of March 2019. Companies reviewed the progress of their own projects and put forward the measures they intended to implement to accelerate construction works. Local committee heads have been asked to settle their accounts and to support companies in overcoming the various difficulties they may face, so that all remaining construction projects can be completed on time.

The day after the CAF’S decision, Cameroon’s Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary cried foul. “This surprising decision, on more than one count, certainly does not do justice to the colossal investments made by our country, which have resulted in the beautiful modern infrastructures that we can see today, nor to the determined commitment of Cameroon’s president and people to make all needed efforts to host a vibrant celebration of African football in 2019.”

Félix Zogo, Secretary General of Cameroon’s Ministry of Communication and Chairman of the Communication Commission for the CAN 2019, had also noted that the CAF had made its decision without taking into account local realities.

“The way in which review works were carried out did not even give the Cameroonian side the chance to respond to any of the observations described in the reports. The Cameroonian delegation, which went to Accra, was unable to take part in the review process and comment on the observations that required further explanations,” he said.

Yang called for his country to focus on the future and to rebuild ties with the CAF. The Cameroonian Government’s only option is, in all likelihood, to work twice as hard to complete all construction works, in order to be fully equipped to host the next tournament of the CAN, scheduled for 2021.

Indeed, current CAF president Ahmad was quick to give some words of comfort to Cameroon, which invested huge sums in the organization of CAN 2019. He offered the country the chance to host the 2021 CAN.

“This would enable Cameroon to complete all construction projects planned for this sporting competition in comfort and safety,” he said. But for this to happen, Cameroon will have to overcome another hurdle: in September 2014, the CAF Executive Committee already designated Côte d’ivoire as the host country of the CAN 2021. The CAF will therefore need to settle this new issue between Cameroon and Côte d’ivoire.

The CAF based its decision, among other things, on reports from its various expert missions sent to Cameroon to inspect the construction works being carried out.

ca

* Reporting from Cameroon * Comments to niyanshuo@chinafrica.cn