On March 3, 2026, an agreement was finalized in Istanbul between the National Assembly of Cameroon, led by its president Cavaye Yéguié Djibril, and the Turkish group Memorial Health Group. The agreement aims to provide medical coverage to deputies and administrative staff of the institution. However, the signing of this contract on foreign soil and without a prior call for tenders raises questions.
The absence of public competition in the awarding of this contract is being criticized. The choice of Memorial Health Group was made outside the regular procedures of Cameroonian public procurement. The exact amount of this contract, described as substantial by internal sources, has not been made public by the office of the president of the National Assembly, fueling criticism of the lack of financial transparency, especially since the Assembly is financed by the state budget.
The presence of Mohamadou Atikou Kalda in the delegation accompanying Cavaye Yéguié Djibril also raises questions. As CEO of Memorial Cameroon, the local subsidiary of the Turkish group, he was both the intermediary and the head of the company benefiting from the contract. This dual role raises concerns about conflicts of interest.
Mohamadou Atikou Kalda is a well-known figure in the Cameroonian political scene, having been involved in organizing a rally in support of Paul Biya in 2025. His career illustrates the close links between political engagement and access to public contracts.
This is not the first time that the issue of medical insurance for deputies has caused tension. In February 2022, a conflict opposed Cavaye Yéguié Djibril to the Secretary-General of the time, Gaston Komba, leading to the dismissal of the latter. This precedent reveals that this file is a power and money issue.
This contract is part of a broader context of contracts awarded on a negotiated basis in Cameroon, without available budgetary information. It offers deputies and administrative staff privileged access to high-tech care in Turkey, while Cameroonian public hospitals face a critical lack of resources.
The choice of Turkey as a health destination is no coincidence. Turkey is pursuing an aggressive policy in the health sector in Africa, and Turkish hospitals are already welcoming patients from several countries on the continent. In the case of Cameroon, it is a public institution that is contracting directly, without transparency, for medical evacuations to Istanbul.
The absence of a call for tenders constitutes a violation of public procurement rules and fuels distrust of institutions. The situation raises questions about governance within the National Assembly, whose role is to monitor government action and ensure transparency. How can it be justified that legislators place themselves above the rules they impose on others?
Indeed, Cavaye Yéguié Djibril, a long-standing Cameroonian political figure, has held the post of President of the National Assembly since 1992. A prominent member of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), he is considered one of the country's longest-serving politicians.
