Yaoundé has recently become a focal point for high-level Mauritanian diplomacy, witnessing two ministerial visits within a single week. On June 24, President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani dispatched his second special envoy, Bessouda Mohamed Laghdaf, the Minister of Environment, to the Unity Palace. She carried a sealed communiqué intended for President Paul Biya. The clear objective behind this diplomatic push is to secure Cameroon’s crucial support for Coumba Bâ’s candidacy for the esteemed position of Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

Direct diplomacy: a sealed message and a candid discussion

Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, the Minister of State and Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, received the Mauritanian emissary late in the afternoon. Acting on behalf of President Paul Biya, who was not present in Yaoundé, the meeting lasted approximately thirty minutes. Minister Laghdaf made no attempt to conceal the primary purpose of her important visit.

Emerging from the Unity Palace, she addressed the press, stating, “We have delivered a message from the Mauritanian Head of State, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, to his brother, President Paul Biya. This sealed communication was presented to the Secretary General of the Presidency.”

The arrival of two ministers in Yaoundé within a week, each bearing a sealed message for President Biya, underscores a concerted and well-orchestrated campaign. This diplomatic initiative was initiated on June 18 by Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, who conveyed the initial message to the Cameroonian head of state.

Nouakchott’s preferred candidate is Coumba Bâ, currently serving as an advisor to the Mauritanian presidency. Minister Bessouda emphasized Cameroon’s significant influence, portraying it as a nation capable of impacting “the balance between different regions,” a role Mauritania hopes to embody through this strategic candidacy.

A pattern of reciprocity: lessons from the AfDB

Mauritania’s current diplomatic strategy is not without precedent. In 2015, Cameroon provided its full backing for Sidi Ould Tah’s successful bid for the presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Mauritania emerged victorious in that contest, and Nouakchott now seeks to replicate this successful model, this time for the OIF.

This approach clearly demonstrates an explicit, almost declared, logic of reciprocity. Indeed, the Mauritanian minister highlighted a “win-win partnership” when speaking to journalists.

Nouakchott’s strategic focus extends beyond the OIF, encompassing consultations within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Islamic Development Bank. Cameroon is thus being engaged on multiple diplomatic fronts simultaneously.

The official response from Yaoundé, and the timeline for its announcement, remain undisclosed.