Presidents Sassou Nguesso and Samba Panza closed the ballet of departures on February 17, in the company of PM Philemon Yang.

The series of Presidential departures at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport ended yesterday morning with the remaining two Heads of State taking off. It clocked exactly 10 AM when President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo alighted from his limousine at the VIP section of the airport.

On hand to welcome him was the Prime Minister and Head of Government, Philemon Yang who immediately accompanied him to his plane.

But before takeoff, Stately honours were performed including the guard of honour and the singing of the National Anthems of the two nations, Cameroon and Congo.

This was followed by farewell handshake with some members of the national constituted corps and the handing of the photo album to immortalise his stay in Cameroon. Equally present at the airport to bid him farewell were some Congolese citizens and personalities residents in Cameroon.

It was virtually the same scenario for Catherine Samba Panza, the Transitional President of the Central African Republic who arrived virtually 30 minutes after the departure of the Congolese leader.

The C.A.R. leader was particularly grateful to the Cameroonian people for their hospitality as she expressed her feeling in her words to some Cameroonian members of government and other personalities shortly before taking her place at the VIP lounge.

After the singing of the two Anthems, she received her own photo album from PM Yang before boarding the UN plane for final takeoff at 11:08 AM.