Fomunyoh Adds Presidential Advisory Role to NDI Portfolio

In this new role as on-call adviser to the president, Fomunyoh will put his tremendous wisdom by offering the NDI president wise advice as he makes decisions that will shape the organization in the next decades

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, Cameroon – Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Africa at the National Democratic Institute, NDI, has been made Special Adviser to the President of the U.S.-based NDI. The announcement was made in a May 28, 2024 release signed by the NDI President, Dr Tamara Cofman Wittes. 

The former adjunct professor of African politics and government at Georgetown University was appointed alongside Les Campbell to play an additional role in advising NDI President, Dr Tamara Cofman Wittes. 

“Together, Chris and Les share nearly 70 years of experience at NDI, including lessons accumulated from previous policy shifts, organizational changes, and other reforms,” NDI President, Dr Tamara Cofman Wittes said.

“In this new role as on-call advisers to the president, they will put that tremendous wisdom to work for NDI as a whole, by offering me their institutional memory and wise advice as I make decisions that will shape the organization in the next decades.”

Dr Tamara Cofman Wittes added: “Chris and Les will now hold titles as Senior Associate, Regional Director, and Special Advisor to the President. To be clear: this does not introduce a new job category, reporting relationship, or other structural change for them, for those working under them, or for the organization as a whole; it is a formal recognition of an additional, as-needed role they have generously been playing already.”

“Please join me in thanking Chris and Les for taking on this additional task on behalf of the organization they love so much and to which they have devoted so much of their professional lives.”

Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, who is also the founder of The Fomunyoh Foundation (TFF), a non-profit organization has been championing democracy and humanitarian causes in Cameroon. He has consistently called for the need for a peaceful solution in the ongoing crisis in the North West and South West Regions.

Dr Fomunyoh on numerous outings has called for the international community to do more in resolving the ongoing catastrophe in the North West and South West Regions. Taking a dichotomy of other crises on the continent, Dr Fomunyoh said it has always been resolved by a third party.

The conflict that has been raging for the past seven years has seen many separatist factions sprung up, and some are even fighting amongst themselves which compounds the problem of if there is a dialogue, who will be the designated representatives of the groups?

English-speaking separatists have been fighting government forces for the past years to carve out an independent state called Ambazonia. The clashes for the past seven years have killed tens of thousands and displaced hundreds more. Some figures put those killed at more than 6,000.

Government forces have been criticized by Human Rights Watch for responding to separatist attacks with a heavy hand, often targeting civilians across the North West and South West Regions. Separatist fights have also been condemned for killing, torture, assault, and kidnappings of civilians – the very people they seek to liberate.