Cameroon was recently removed from African Growth and Opportunity Act by the United States over accused human rights violations. The AGOA is a “piece of legislation dedicated to improving US relations with Sub-Saharan countries for economic purposes.”
The United States largest national interest in Cameroon is regional stability and counterterrorism in the Lake Chad region. Their invested economic relations with Cameroon is mainly to boost Cameroon’s economy and that of neighboring countries.
As the United States’ 124th largest trading partner, the United States can easily economically survive without Cameroon exports/imports, but the same may not apply for Cameroon. President Paul Biya and the Cameroon government claim that they do not rely on US trade, but if they do, they must end consistent human rights violations.
The human rights violations by the government were abuses against communities suspected of supporting secessionist movements. People were burned alive, houses set on fire, tortured and directly murdered.
President Trump’s removal of Cameroon from the pact follows his ex ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley resignation within Trump’s first term is speculated as a political move, but she did not want to support the supranational organization and their ignorance of human rights violations.
Cameroon, a member of the United Nations, did not receive any punishment from the UN for violations. This is not surprising as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro were recently elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council. This vote has received much criticism from the world, as both of these leaders have praised military dictatorship and hope criminals will “die in the street like cockroaches.”
The necessary removal of Cameroon from the AGOA was all from US involvement and their attempt to be the “world policeman.” US necessity to the Cameroon economy will be tested over time and if they will want to be added back into the AGOA.