The Unity march and inter-religious prayers held recently was a foretaste of the National Day celebrations.
About 20,000 Cameroonians from all walks of life and age groups turned out massively on the streets of the nation’s capital, Yaounde, on Saturday May 16, 2015, in a Unity and National Integration March that culminated in an inter-religious prayer at the precincts of the Prime Minister’s office.
The marchers from the seven sub-divisions of Yaounde, with some cabinet ministers on the starting block, arrived at the Prime Minister’s office Round-about from different points of the city notably; Wada roundabout, Ministry of Basic Education, BEAC and Soliel Pharmacy areas and converged in front of the Star building where an impressive crowd including dance groups represented the ten regions of the country and the Unity March Choir was already animating.
The marchers walked in singing, “We are one, we are together” and carrying the Green, Red and Yellow flag, the Head of State’s effigies and banners that brandished patriotic messages of Unity, National Integration, peace and stability and unflinching support for the Head of State and the country’s defence forces in their fight against the nebulous terrorist sect, Boko Haram.
On arrival after the one and a half hour walk, the marchers displayed a scintillating ‘Mary go round’ choreography style at the Prime Minister’s office round about before a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem which gave a foretaste of the National Day celebrations.
The Prime Minister, Head of Government, who was the Head of State’s personal representative at the event, cabinet ministers, CERAC women, the Chantal Biya Foundation, the clergy, and the physically challenged amongst others, could not hide their emotions as they constantly swung their flags in admiration to the displays.
Another high point of the Unity March organised in prelude to the 43rd edition of the National Day under the theme, “The Defence Forces and the nation’s vital forces acting in synergy to meet security challenges and the preservation of peace and stability in Cameroon and the Central African sub-region”, were ecumenical prayers officiated by some seven clergies from the Adventist, Eglise Protestant Camerounaise, the Orthodox church, Cameroon Baptist Convention, the Roman Catholic and the Moslem denominations.
In their different intercessions, the men of God prayed for peace, unity, love and national integration in Cameroon and beseeched God to help Cameroon and its Defence Forces defeat the Boko Haram aggressors who are threatening the peace and stability of the country. A beautiful musical piece entitled “Long live national unity and integration by the choir crowned the 2015 Unity march in Yaounde.
