Yaoundé summons Equatorial Guinea ambassador after deadly immigration operation ⁰

Cameroon summoned Equatorial Guinea’s ambassador, Armando Kote Echuaca, to the Ministry of External Relations in Yaoundé on November 6, 2026, following a series of incidents during immigration enforcement operations in his country. According to the ministry, the operations resulted in one death and several injuries. It did not identify the deceased person or explain the circumstances of the death.

The ambassador was received at the request of Foreign Relations Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella. During the meeting, the ministry’s acting secretary-general expressed the Cameroonian government’s concerns over the treatment of its citizens. Equatorial Guinean authorities are currently conducting checks on residence permits, detaining foreign nationals, and repatriating those subject to removal. While acknowledging Equatorial Guinea’s right to enforce its immigration rules, Cameroon called on its neighbor to respect agreements on the free movement of people and goods under the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Yaoundé also stressed the need to protect the human rights and dignity of those detained. In response, Kote Echuaca pledged to convey Cameroon’s concerns to his government. The ministry’s account of the meeting did not announce any further measures.

Another Diplomatic Summons After April 2025 Deportations

The latest incident comes just over 18 months after the same ambassador was summoned over a similar dispute. On April 25, 2025, Mbella Mbella received Kote Echuaca following the deportation of Cameroonian nationals from Equatorial Guinea four days earlier. According to the Ministry of External Relations at the time, the deportations took place without prior notification to Cameroon’s embassy in Malabo or its consulate general in Bata.

Cameroon strongly condemned the expulsions, arguing that repeated deportations of its citizens violated regional agreements governing the free movement and residence of Central African nationals.

To resolve the dispute, Mbella Mbella proposed urgent bilateral talks on consular matters. The Equatorial Guinean ambassador welcomed the proposal and expressed his government’s regret over the situation. More than a year later, the latest summons shows that the treatment of Cameroonian nationals in Equatorial Guinea remains a source of friction between Yaoundé and Malabo. However, the November 6 statement does not indicate whether the talks proposed in April 2025 ever took place or whether any follow-up measures resulted from them.

Source: Sbbc