National Reconciliation: Restoring The Once Vibrant Fraternity

If there is one thing that Cameroon was once cherished for and which is regrettably being sold to the dogs, it is togetherness. Foreigners marvelled at how people so ethnically and linguistically diverse could be so united as to forge ahead a common future in such a formidable manner. It was a sense of brotherhood, in fact national fraternity, that intrinsically bonded sons and daughters of a one Cameroon under one leader. It was the nation first! How things turned that a people who once enviously held unto what united them than the differences that seemed divisive, could now sleep into hate speech and name-calling to describe compatriots who do not belong to their tribe or share their ideology, remains shocking. The ethnic tensions and tribal positioning; owing to feelings of superiority or inferiority, are proving to be severe threats to the once venerated peace and national cohesion. The need for national reconciliation is therefore more than ever imperative. Whether from the North, South, East or West, the feeling of citizenship needs to be revived in all Cameroonians. People should not be seen and considered on the basis of where they come from, the language the speak or worse still, who they know. The culture of national fraternity should be reinvigorated in compatriots across the board. This would be an ideal way to give national growth fresh impetus, where every son and daughter regardless of his/her cultural or linguistic background, feels a sense of belonging and an urge to contribute to making the nation better. The Head of State’s appeal, during his oath-taking, for a united front should be heeded to. “Join me so that, together, in peace and harmony, we can meet the daunting challenges facing our country. I urge you all to take part in this worthy cause,” is President Paul Biya’s plea. Understandably so as electioneering for the post of President is past and gone. Logically, it is now time to get together. Like the President said, “This country is our shared heritage. It is our most precious asset. Rather than destroying it, we have to build, strengthen and modernize it. We should end the hate speech flooding the public space, especially social media.” Embracing the national reconciliation trend; thr...