It was organized by the
civil society organisation, Hope for the Needy Association (HOFNA) Cameroon in
the North West capital Bamenda.
 |
| Workshop attendees pose for a group photo (credit, HOFNA/facebook) |
Boko Haram, the extremist
group that has waged an ongoing six-year insurgency in neighbouring Nigeria,
stepped up cross border raids into Cameroon recently.
Authorities have blamed at
least nine suicide bombings in the last three months in Northern Cameroon on
the jihadist group.
“The unfortunate insecurity situation often
perpetrated by unidentified individuals calls for unity, determination,
patriotism and collective efforts,” Christelle Bay Chongwain, director of HOFNA
Cameroon said.
The workshop’s main thrust,
according to Chongwain, was to tout the benefits of enhancing multicultural
dialogue for peace and security in Cameroon.
Such an endeavour, she
added, is the missing pearl needed to reinstate and instill valued peace needed
for the growth of the country.
“Despite social, biological
and religious differences, engaging in meaningful exchanges, Cameroon will
become a better place void of insecurity.”
U.S
together with Cameroon
The workshop was organized
with support from the U.S Embassy in Cameroon.
 |
| NW governor, U.S Embassy rep., other officials and some leaders pose |
“We are together in the
fight to counter violence, terrorism and extremism in this country,” Matthieu
Smith, Deputy Chief of Missions at the U.S Embassy in Cameroon said, adding
that Boko Haram is nothing but a sombre cloud hovering over Cameroon which the
United States of America is partnering with patriotic civil society organizations
like HOFNA to dispel.
On behalf of the government
of Cameroon, North West governor, Adolphe Lele L’Afrique, said the fight
against the Nigerian jihadist group is a collective undertaking, both for
government and civil society organizations.
“Youths are pivotal in
ensuring peace and national security as they are exposed to the social media
where the cultivation of unfounded rumours to stir radicalization are spread,” Lele
L’Afrique said.
He called on the youth
leaders to encourage their peers to denounce all suspects and share information
with security officers.
Populace
on permanent alert
Rabiatu Ahmadu, a lady in
her early twenties from the Far North where Boko Haram has successively carried
out onslaughts, said people in the region are permanently on the alert.
 |
| Youths with different cultures, religion...but one vision |
“You don’t know when they
[Boko Haram] will attack, what tool they will use and where they will strike.”
“We are scared to go to the
market and socialize,” Ahmadu lamented.
The youths and youth leaders
who attended the two-day workshop were educated on the need to fast track peace
and be peace ambassadors in their respective regions and organizations.
Discussions centered on the
current security threats in the face of the country after which measures required
to enhance peace and security with youth and women as key actors were drafted and
channeled to government.
At the close of the
workshop, the director of HOFNA Cameroon, Christelle Bay Chongwain, announced
that the association will organize a peace tour in the University of Maroua in
the coming days.
The tour will feature three
projections of animated films to portray the importance of peace, solidarity
and security.
By Ndi Eugene Ndi, just back
from Bamenda.
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