New York Times, March 14 1962
WASHINGTON, March 13 - Ahmadou Ahidjo, President of the Federal Republic of Cameroon, arrived today for a two-day state visit. The 38-year old leader of the West African republic was greeted at the Washington National Airport by President Kennedy.
In his welcoming remarks President Kennedy paid tribute to "one of the youngest Presidents in the world" for the leadership he had shown "in uniting a country with different languages which had not known a sense of nationhood and community until recent years." Mr. Kennedy expressed admiration for President Ahidjo's efforts to obtain a better life for his people and the hope that his visit would further those efforts. It was a most fortunate time for the visit, Mr. Kennedy said, because Cameroon was not only the geographical hinge upon which Africa turned, but could also become the political and economic hinge.
Replying in French, President Ahidjo said his nation had followed with great attention President Kennedy's "dynamic policies" and his "efforts to consolidate friendship among nations." Africans, he said, were grateful for the attitude of the president of the United States "toward our continent."
Before exchanging greetings, a twenty-one gun salute was fired for the visiting head of state and the Cameroon and United Stated national anthems were played. After the airport ceremony, the two presidents rode to Blair House, the government's guest house.
At 1 p.m. President Kennedy gave a state luncheon for the Cameroon president at the White House. After lunch they conferred on a broad range of subjects, including the Congo, United Nations problems, decolonization of remaining dependent territories in Africa and economic aid.
Video of the Ahidjo-Kennedy meeting coming soon.
Dibussi,
This is GREAT archived news. I do applaude your effort in surfacing this today. To me, it is history all over. Thanks
Posted by: Charles Forchu | March 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Great job Dibussi. Some day, some how, we shall change Cameroon, our beloved country.
Personal development is the torch-bearer.
Posted by: Oliver Asaah | March 11, 2009 at 05:36 AM
wusai di video dey? I beg upload-am quick quick
Posted by: Alhadji | March 12, 2009 at 05:23 PM
Let God bless you to continue to your Good work
Posted by: martin | March 16, 2009 at 07:42 AM
great post mola. 2009 black weblog award is on the way, u deserve to be the best blog winner hopefully this time around.
Posted by: The SouthWesterner | March 21, 2009 at 08:31 AM
That visit, according to Mary Wilroy and Lucie Prinz in "Inside Blair House," carried some of the characteristics of what has ruined the Cameroon society today: Disorganization. Ahmadu Ahidjo was scheduled to arrive on Monday, March 12, 1962 but just before lunch on Sunday, Mary Wilroy, who was in charge of the Blair House where Ahmadu Ahidjo was scheduled to stay, was called and informed that he would be arriving that evening for dinner. The staff at Blair House was quickly alerted, and dinner planned and cooked by three-fifteen. However, by six-fifteen the State Department visit officer, with news from the Cameroon delegation, called apologetically from New York to say that the Cameroon delegation would be arriving on Monday after all.
Posted by: mungu | March 23, 2009 at 04:34 PM
Still waiting for the video
Posted by: Ambe Johnson | March 29, 2009 at 06:34 PM
REVISITING MEMORY LANE: KENNEDY WELCOMES YOUNG PRESIDENT OF CAMEROON.
Mr. Dibussi,
Kudos to you for this great job. The one million Dollar question after reading your article captioned here above is this: who is the next Cameroonian to pair up now with Obama in a similar manner like Kennedy and Ahidjo then? Can we Cameroonians afford to let Mr. Biya stand besides Obama in this era? Will such a pairing not be abominable conidering that the two personalities are incompatible from every aspect of the word? I have no doubt that there are a couple of Cameroonians that are better suited to be there; and I know one that is more befitting among them. I see him not only bringing the much needed unity but also prosperity that Cameroon has been deprived of for so long under the incumbent regime.. He has an expert knowledge of world politics and democratic governance.He is well rooted in Cameroon through his non-profit organization's activities. He is a political science professor in Universities in US. His team has worked for and is still working for democratic changes in South Africa, Liberia, Nigeria and very recently Ghana that experienced a smooth power transition just to name a few. In 1992, we as a country worked for a smooth democratic change in Cameroon but the party in power then did not let this happen. We missed our chance then. He is a blue print of a bilingual Cameroonian. That is the type of leader I believe all Cameroonians now need and want in this era. He is the young and appropriate candidate that fits the generation of Obama and Sarkozy in France. Whoever has an open mind and ear must have followed his excellent interviews with RFI, BBC, CRTV and written press like the Post and Eden newspaper in Cameroon. Many of us know him. I am suggesting that you folks of the media make him known to the Cameroonian public. Cameroonians should start getting ready for the change before Mr. Biya takes us by surprise through early elections and his CPDM fraud machinery. I suggest further that even if our candidate for change does not like the idea of leading Cameroon, we should employ the cultural style of making kings; i.e by catching him and putting him on that throne because he is fit and deserves to be there. He is our leader for the change that is this century's calling. More than other nations, Cameroon needs this change and unity. We cannot afford to let Mr. Biya stand besides Obama as the leader of Cameroon in this century. Biya's time has expired and he should leave the place for the young generation.
Pa-Teh Asongwe
Posted by: Pa-Teh Asongwe | April 09, 2009 at 08:09 PM
Pa-Teh Asongwe,
why do'nt you go ahead and just mention that name? Not so many of us know him-please I'll be gratefull should you do that. Ok, ok send it to [email protected]
Thanks
Lerica
See you at the TOP!
Posted by: Lerica | August 05, 2009 at 12:39 PM
"The most captivative from this sit"
You make us proud and happy.
"If he only knew"
How I wish he live in this modern world of ours and studies in my Political Science Dept with Tallent from Pa Wang,Dr Tany V,Dr Assibong.
He would hav left a durable tar mark with no undulating slops as present.
Officailly visiting just for 2days but Dictators stay in france 4 over 2 weeks.........
Your tallent dought not so precious but powerful."No personalisation of Power"with rigared 2 French Cameroon.
Your spirit should inform the succss that the Young Political Scientist also need power.
The old should not be disgrasses and died in power like Bongo for their spirits shall not lay baside their ancestors.
Just as the predicessor.
Dibbussi kudos,Amigo
Posted by: Edmund Njoh | August 11, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Well, we all pray for change; not only Biya, but his machinery of fraud.Payers must go with action.Each person should fight for the change at his/her level. Resist bribery/tips.
Posted by: Kay | June 08, 2010 at 08:33 AM