By Andrew Nsoseka
The United States Secretary of State, through the United States Embassy in Yaounde, has publicly issued a statement, barring one of Cameroon’s Inspectors General of the Gendarmerie, Colonel Jean Claude Ango Ango and his relations, from entering the United States of America, due to Colonel Ango Ango’s involvement in “significant corruption related to wildlife trafficking.”
A release issued on July 9, 2019, titled: “Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption of the Republic of Cameroon’s Jean Claude Ango Ango,” signed by the US Embassy’s Information Assistant, Rodrigue Nganzi, states that: “In addition to the designation of Mr. Ango Ango, the Secretary is also publicly designating Mr. Ango Ango’s spouse, Mrs. Engono Akomo”.
The release further states that: “This designation is made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Div. F, P.L. 116-6) (“Section 7031(c)”). Section 7031(c) provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that officials of foreign governments have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.”
In the press release, US officials stated that their action also sends a strong signal that the United States is committed to fighting corruption and combating the transnational crime of wildlife trafficking to preserve the world’s iconic species.
