Cameroonian-born Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh has been given an additional role at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a US-based independent organisation that supports and strengthens democracy worldwide.
Currently senior associate and regional director for West and Central Africa, Dr Fomunyoh was recently appointed special adviser to the President of NDI.
The announcement was made on May 28, 2024, in a release signed by the NDI President, Dr. Tamara Cofman Wittes.
Also appointed in the same role is Les Campbel.
“Together, Chris and Les share nearly 70 years of experience at NDI, including lessons accumulated from previous policy shifts,organisationall changes, and other reforms,” said Dr Tamara in the appointment letter.
Besides advising President Tamara, they are also expected to put their “tremendous wisdom to work for NDI as a whole.”.
Christopher Fomunyoh has organized and advised international election observation missions to Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
He has also designed and supervised country-specific democracy support programmes with civic organisations, political parties, and legislative bodies in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Mali, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Togo.
In the course of his work, Dr. Fomunyoh interacts regularly with heads of state and government, cabinet ministers, elected officials and political and civic leaders.
He recently designed and helped launch the African Statesmen Initiative (ASI), a program aimed at facilitating political transitions in Africa by encouraging former democratic heads of state to stay engaged in humanitarian issues, conflict mediation, public health, and other key sectors of political, economic and human development on the continent.
WHO IS CHRISTOPHER FOMUNYOH?
He is a native of Guzang, a locality in Cameroon’s North West region.
He holds a Licence en Droit from Yaoundé University in Cameroon, a master’s degree (LL.M.) in international law from Harvard Law School; and a Ph.D. in political science from Boston University.
Dr. Fomunyoh is an adjunct faculty member at the African Center for Strategic Studies and a former adjunct professor of African politics and government at Georgetown University.
He also is the founder of The Fomunyoh Foundation, a nonprofit organization interested in supporting democracy and humanitarian causes in Cameroon.
