As the country prepares to celebrate National Day on May 20, thousands of Cameroonians have taken to the streets in the name of peace and reconciliation. Led by activists, clerics, and traditional leaders, peace caravans are calling for an end to the ongoing separatist conflict and hate speech in Cameroon, which has claimed over 6,000 lives since 2017.
Protests against hate speech and divisions have erupted across the country, with demonstrators calling for peace in the Central African state. In Yaounde, hundreds of Christians from the Catholic, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches turned out against the backdrop of increasing xenophobic rhetoric that has triggered conflicts and damaged Cameroon’s image.
Rev. Father Humphrey Tatah Mbui, the Director of Communications at the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, lamented that the harsh language and hate speech we use to each other destroy the country. He further said that if Cameroon is going to experience peace, then its people must learn to communicate peacefully, shun divisive and inflammatory rhetoric, exercise restraint while fostering an environment of dialogue.
Clashes between communities escalated following the 2018 presidential polls that resulted in claims of victory by the opposition leader Maurice Kamto and the victory of President Paul Biya. Since the revelation that some French-speaking host communities accuse English-speaking communities displaced by the separatist conflict in the west of being separatist fighters or sympathizers, tensions have been on a steady rise.
Cameroon’s National Communication Council has issued over two dozen warnings to radio and television stations that hosted guests who promoted hate speech. The country’s Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, warned that Cameroonians increasingly use social media for vilification and humiliation and to incite violence against people of different religions, languages, ethnic groups, and gender. He said the common manifestation of the vice is ethnic and social discrimination, stigmatization of tribalism, and irredentist claims.
The government’s fight against hate speech is aimed at protecting democracy and the rule of law and preserving the values of unity and peaceful coexistence. President Biya has urged Cameroonians to show love for their country during the National Day celebrations. In a report, the International Crisis Group had earlier warned that social media platforms, especially Facebook, were becoming a breeding ground for political and ethnic tensions amongst Cameroon’s youth.
