Few people know that the only woman candidate in Cameroon’s presidential elections next October has Calabrian roots. Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya’s paternal grandfather was in fact originally from Calabria, and this family curiosity adds a special significance to her arrival in Italy. Her visit to Rome, therefore, is not only a stop on a political tour, but also a symbolic return to her origins, in which personal history and civic commitment are intertwined.

Tomorrow, Rome will welcome Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, the only woman candidate in Cameroon’s presidential elections scheduled for 12 October. The appointment, set for 4pm in Via Aldrovandi 16, marks the first stage of a European tour that will also take her to Germany and Belgium to meet with Cameroonian communities in the diaspora.

The link with Italy is personal and deep: Patricia’s paternal grandfather was originally from Calabria, and this family root makes her presence in Rome particularly significant. It is not just a symbolic return, but a moment that weaves together cultural identity and political commitment. For Patricia, the visit to Italy becomes an opportunity to reaffirm that democracy and human rights are universal values that unite peoples and continents.

A candidacy born between memory and civil commitment

Widow of Adamou Ndam Njoya, the historic leader of the Cameroon Democratic Union, Patricia has taken up her husband’s political baton, pursuing a project of renewal and social justice. Her candidature comes in a Cameroon plagued by conflicts in the Anglophone regions, economic tensions and disputes over the transparency of the electoral process.

In this context, her figure takes on a significance that goes beyond political competition: she becomes a symbol for African women who, despite obstacles and difficulties, choose to engage in public life.

Europe, Italy and Cameroon: a democratic test case

The meeting in Rome is not only about the diaspora: it draws the attention of Europe and Italy, Cameroon’s historical and strategic partners. With the European Union, the country has well-established relations: an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has been in force since 2009, guaranteeing free access for Cameroonian products to the European market. More recently, Cameroon ratified theSamoa Agreement, which replaces the historic Cotonou Agreement, focusing on sustainable development, social inclusion and respect for human rights.

The EU also supports projects through the Global Gateway programme, finances energy and infrastructure initiatives and has introduced stringent rules such as theEUDR on deforestation, which condition access to the European market for cocoa and coffee. All these instruments are not mere technical agreements, but decisive political levers.

For Italy, the link with Cameroon now has a dual dimension: cultural, thanks to Patricia’s Italian origins, and political, thanks to the Mattei Plan, which aims to build a fairer partnership with Africa. But the success of this strategy will depend on the ability to combine economic agreements with concrete support for democratic processes.

Patricia Ndam Njoya’s European tour, which started in Rome, underlines the crucial role of diasporas as bridges between two worlds. At a time when Europe and Africa are increasingly interconnected by migration, energy and security challenges, her candidacy becomes a symbol and a test case: not only for Cameroon, but also for Europe’s ability to consistently support African democratic processes.