Cameroon held both military and civilian parades throughout the nation on Tuesday, May 20 to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of its National Day. Hundreds of soldiers and civilians marched in front of national and international dignitaries during a ceremony led by President Paul Biya in the capital, Yaounde.
In keeping with the growing military cooperation between the two neighboring countries, a contingent of the Nigerian Armed Forces also took part in the parade.
Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo, a spokesman for the Cameroon Army, told reporters, “Cameroon and Nigeria have excellent relations as neighbors. “The Nigerian army’s attendance and involvement on this significant day in Cameroon is evidence of the friendly relationship between the two nations.” Even in the war-torn Anglophone areas, where separatist fighters had enforced a lockdown to sabotage the festivities, marches were held in all ten regions of the nation.
Conflicts in Bambili, Northwest Region, were reported by local authorities, but they claimed they had no bearing on the events. A significant day in Cameroon’s national calendar is May 20. It honors the 1972 referendum in which Cameroonians chose to establish a unitary state in place of the federal system.