This year, the National Day theme is “National unity, pillar of our defense and foundation of Cameroon’s development.” Cameroonian President Paul Biya presided over the grand parade on Boulevard du 20 mai in Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital. Thousands of soldiers and civilians marched before a gathering of national and international dignitaries. A contingent of Chadian armed forces also took part in the event, illustrating the growing military cooperation between these two neighboring countries.
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“It is Chadian special forces that were dispatched to participate in the celebrations. We maintain excellent relations with Chad, and our armies collaborate closely in several areas, notably in the fight against terrorism,” said Colonel Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo, spokesperson for the Cameroonian army, to the press.
Similar celebrations took place in the ten regions of the country, including in the North-West and South-West regions. In these two English-speaking regions plagued by security tensions, separatist fighters had attempted to impose a lockdown order, called the “ghost towns” operation, to disrupt the festivities, without preventing the official parades from taking place.
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The date of May 20 commemorates the historic 1972 referendum, during which Cameroonians voted massively for the transition from a federal state to a unitary state. For Cameroonian authorities, this year’s theme reminds that national unity remains the pillar of national defense and the foundation of the country’s socio-economic development.
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