September is the month set for Philemon Yang to hand over the UN General Assembly presidency to former German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock.
Former Cameroon Prime Minister, Philemon Yang who has been serving as the president of the United National General Assembly in September last year will be replaced by former German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock. Yang assumed the role in September last year, succeeding in adding yet another feather into his already parked cap. Yang is Grand Chancellor of National Orders and regional head of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM party for the North West Region.
During his UNGA presidency, Yang maintained a low profile and did not visit Cameroon in an official capacity, traveling only to Kenya within Africa. His tenure saw no major interventions regarding Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis, despite the conflict affecting his home region. The Norwegian Refugee Council has classified the crisis as the world’s most neglected displacement situation. With Cameroon’s presidential election approaching in October, speculation surrounds Yang’s potential return to his previous political roles.
No permanent replacements were appointed for his positions as Grand Chancellor of National Orders or CPDM North West delegation head during his UN service. The party temporarily assigned Senator Regina Mundi to represent the region in his absence but made no official appointment.
Who is Annalena Baerbock?
The incoming UNGA president, Germany’s former foreign minister, will become the 80th session leader when she assumes office in September. A member of Germany’s Green Party, Baerbock previously served as foreign minister in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government from 2021 to 2024. Her election continues the tradition of rotating the UNGA presidency among global regions, with Western European countries next in sequence.
Yang’s departure from the UN role coincides with a critical period in Cameroonian politics. Before his UN assignment, he had publicly supported President Paul Biya’s reelection during CPDM rallies in Bamenda. With Biya now in his 42nd year of leadership, Yang’s potential return to domestic politics could occur as the country prepares for its next electoral cycle.
