Ambassador Okamura made the promise on December 6, 2016 in Yaounde on the occasion of his country’s National Day.
The Japanese Embassy in Cameroon on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 in Yaounde marked its National Day, the birthday of Emperor Akihito, who will be 83 on December 23, 2016. Ambassador Kunio Okamura described the Emperor as “the symbol of the national unity of Japanese people.” Government was represented at the event by Adoum Gargoum, the Minister Delegate in the Ministry of External Relations in charge of Cooperation with the Islamic World.
Kunio Okamura recalled that as a result of Boko Haram attacks and armed conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa, Cameroon is today host to a huge number of refugees from Nigeria and the Central African Republic. He said in response to the appeal by President Paul Biya on September 22, 2016 at the 71st General Assembly, Japan strongly supports Cameroon in its fight by continuing to mobilise financial assistance through the United Nations. This is through offer of emergency aid to refugees, internally-displaced people and host communities. Japan congratulates Cameroon’s efforts in containing Boko Haram attacks and hosting refugees, the Ambassador noted.
Japan and Cameroon have always maintained good relations, which the former hopes to strengthen through different cooperation programmes and projects. The areas concerned are elementary education, agriculture, development of small businesses and efforts to improve the living conditions of rural people. Japan also offers assistance in water supply, training in fishing, road projects and scientific research. Japan provides scholarships each year to Cameroonians. This year, more Cameroonians were selected for the African Business Education, ABE programme for Master’s degree training and internship in Japan, Kunio Okamura disclosed.
Japan also encourages investments in the country by its nationals. “I would like to thank the Cameroonian government and people for the warm welcome of Japanese nationals in “this Africa in miniature,” the diplomat said. He expressed the condolences of his government to the government and people of Cameroon on the deadly train accident in Eseka on October 21, 2016. “Japan has been actively engaged in the development of Africa, especially through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, TICAD, which held this year for the first time in Africa (Nairobi, Kenya).
Japan has reiterated more significantly its desire to work hand in hand with Africa to contribute to its development and to further consolidate relations,” Kunio Okamura promised.