US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Congratulates Paul Biya on “Inauguration” After Sham 2025 Election – BaretaNews Exclusive
Ambazonia Ground Zero – November 17, 2025
In a move that has stunned and angered Cameroonians worldwide, newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio telephoned Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya today to personally congratulate him on his November 6 inauguration following the widely condemned October 2025 presidential election.
The official U.S. Department of State readout, issued just hours ago, states:
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with President Paul Biya to congratulate him on his inauguration. During their conversation, the Secretary and the President discussed deepening the partnership between the United States and Cameroon to advance shared goals, including strengthening security as well as achieving regional peace and prosperity for both nations. The Secretary commended Cameroon for its role as a partner in the fight against terrorism.” — Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott
The call comes only 11 days after nine members of the U.S. Congress sent Secretary Rubio an urgent letter demanding action over electoral fraud, post-election violence, internet blackouts, and the arrest of opposition figures in La République du Cameroun. The lawmakers explicitly warned that recognising the results would undermine U.S. credibility on democracy and human rights in Africa.
Activists reacted with fury:
- “This is a betrayal of every Cameroonian bleeding under Biya’s occupation forces. The same administration that promised ‘America First’ is now embracing a French-backed dictator who has turned our homeland into a killing field. Calling Biya’s colonial army ‘partners against terrorism’ while they burn our villages and massacre civilians is beyond hypocrisy – it is complicity.”
- Mark Bareta, Publisher of BaretaNews, added: “Two weeks ago U.S. lawmakers were calling the election a sham. Today Rubio is on the phone praising the thief-in-chief. Cameroonians will remember who stood with the oppressor when history is written.”
The October 12 election was boycotted across large parts of Ambazonia, with polling stations deserted or burned. Independent observers and opposition parties documented stuffed ballot boxes, military intimidation, and results announced while voting was still supposedly ongoing in some areas, and a suspicious 53.66 % score for Biya despite decades of documented unpopularity.
Western governments had remained largely silent or cautious before and immediately after Biya’s swearing-in. Today’s warm congratulations from the Trump administration’s top diplomat marks the first major power to fully embrace the outcome.
Critics warn the phone call sends a clear signal: counter-terrorism cooperation and strategic interests in the Gulf of Guinea now outweigh concerns about democracy, human rights, and the eight-year war in Ambazonia that has killed tens of thousands and displaced over one million people.
BaretaNews will continue to monitor U.S. policy shifts and their impact on the Ambazonia liberation struggle.
Source: Official U.S. Department of State readout – https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/11/secretary-rubios-call-with-cameroonian-president-biya/
