Latest Embassy News

Press Release

U.S. Navy Ship Conducts Port Visit in Limbe, Cameroon

LIMBE, CAMEROON – USS DOYLE (FFG 39), a U.S. Navy frigate, arrived in Limbe, September 27, 2007, to conduct a nine-day port visit as part of an ongoing effort to enhance relations and maritime security throughout the continent. The ship’s crew conducted training in the areas of visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) tactics; shipboard maintenance management; command-and-control coordination; shipboard fire-fighting; navigation techniques; and small-boat maneuvering.

USS DOYLE is currently deployed to the Gulf of Guinea as part of a task group to strengthen regional maritime partnerships under the aegis of the US Navy’s African Partnership Stationing (APS) program.

CDR Michael Elliot, Commanding Officer of USS DOYLE, and his crew of approximately 220 sailors were welcomed upon arrival by Captain (CV) Roger Temche, Commanding Officer of Limbe Naval Base, and Samuel Lifanda, Government Delegate to the Limbe Urban Counsel. “I am extremely pleased with the opportunity to expose my crew to the warm hospitality of Cameroon,” said CDR Elliott, “and to make many new friends throughout the various training events that we will be hosting during our stay.”

In addition to enjoying the local hospitality of the town of Limbe, sailors hosted and initiated activities of their own, including a VIP reception aboard the ship with Cameroon Navy officials. Some twenty-plus sailors from USS Doyle dedicated September 29 to community relations work at the Rheme Grace Orphanage, Limbe. Among the repair work accomplished that day, the crews painted the main building’s exterior and interior, cemented the kitchen and fixed the generator. Mid-visit, the two Navies held a friendly soccer match in Limbe, with the Cameroon Navy winning 2-1. A rematch is scheduled for October 4.

USS DOYLE, home-ported in Mayport, Florida (United States), has been operating off the western coast of Africa for just over four months and has previously visited Cape Verde, Senegal, Gabon, Morocco, Ghana, and Sao Tome and Principe.

For further information, please contact the Information Section of the U.S. Embassy, Yaounde, Tel 22-20-15-00, x4162 or x4273.