Yaoundé marks 53rd National Day with nationwide celebrations ⁰

Biya and his Francophone regime on Tuesday marked the 53rd anniversary of its National Day with military and civilian parades held across the country.

In the capital Yaoundé, President Paul Biya presided over a ceremony that featured hundreds of soldiers and civilians marching in front of national and international dignitaries.

A contingent of the Nigerian Armed Forces also participated in the parade, underscoring growing military cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

“Cameroon and Nigeria have excellent relations as neighbors. We collaborate in several military aspects to fight terrorism, especially terrorist group Boko Haram,” Cameroon Army spokesperson Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo told reporters. “The presence and participation of the Nigerian army during this very important day in Cameroon is a testament to the cordial relationship existing between both countries.”

Marches also took place in all 10 regions of the country, including the war-torn Anglophone areas, where separatist fighters had imposed a lockdown to disrupt the celebrations. Local authorities reported clashes in Bambili in the Northwest Region but said they did not affect the events.

May 20 is a key date in Cameroon’s national calendar. It commemorates the 1972 referendum in which Cameroonians voted to replace the federal system with a unitary state.

Source: Xinhuanet with additional editing