Cameroon–United States relations

Cameroon-United States relations are close, although from time to time they have been affected by concerns over human rights abuses and the pace of political and economic liberalization. The bilateral U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program in Cameroon closed for budgetary reasons in 1994.

However, approximately 140 Peace Corps volunteers continue to work successfully in agroforestry, community development, education, and health. The Public Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde organizes and funds diverse cultural, educational, and information exchanges. It maintains a library and helps foster the development of Cameroon's independent press by providing information in a number of areas, including U.S. human rights and democratization policies. The Embassy's Self-help and Democracy and Human Rights Funds are some of the largest in Africa.

Through several State Department and USAID regional funds, the Embassy also provides funds for: refugees, HIV/AIDS, democratization and girl's scholarships. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided a commodity grant valued at $6 million in 2003 to fund agricultural development projects in the North and Far North provinces. A similar program for $4 million was approved in 2004. The program will fund an agricultural development and nutrition enhancement project in the East and Adamawa provinces.

The United States and Cameroon work together in the United Nations and a number of other multilateral organizations. While in the UN Security Council in 2002, Cameroon worked closely with the United States on a number of initiatives. The U.S. Government continues to provide substantial funding for international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, IMF, and African Development Bank, that provide financial and other assistance to Cameroon.

Principal U.S. Officials

* Ambassador--Janet E. Garvey
* Deputy Chief of Mission--Richard Nelson
* Management Officer--Charles F. Werderman
* Public Affairs Officer--Lonnie Kelley
* Political/Economic/Commercial Officer--Scott Ticknor
* Defense Attache--Major Matthew Sousa
* Consular Officer--William Swaney

Diplomatic missions

The U.S. Embassy in Cameroon is in Yaounde.

See also

* Foreign relations of Cameroon
* Foreign relations of the United States

References

StateDept [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26431.htm#relations]