The Russian Orthodox Church has received official legal recognition in the Republic of Cameroon, marking a significant step in the expansion of its activities in the country.

According to a statement published on the website of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, the corresponding decree was signed by Cameroonian President Paul Biya on January 23. The decision formally закрепляет (establishes) the activities of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa on Cameroonian territory and allows the Russian Orthodox Church to conduct worship services, missionary outreach, and social work within a recognized legal framework.

The Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa was established by a decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in December 2021. It includes the North African and South African dioceses and oversees pastoral responsibility in more than ten African countries, among them Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

In Cameroon, the Exarchate has been actively developing a network of parishes, carrying out missionary work, and implementing humanitarian projects. In recent years, new parishes have been opened across the country, and large-scale baptisms of local residents have taken place, including in regions where Orthodox communities previously did not exist.

Beyond religious life, the Exarchate is also involved in social initiatives. In northern Cameroon, with the support of the Russian Orthodox Church, wells providing drinking water have been drilled, supplying clean water to more than 1,500 people. Parishes also provide assistance to children from low-income families and to schoolchildren.

Representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate say that obtaining official status creates favorable conditions for the further development of the Orthodox presence in Cameroon and for the expansion of the Church’s social and charitable activities in the country.