President Biya Takes Peace, Unity Message To Social Media

Be it Facebook, twitter and other social media platforms, the President of the Republic have in the recent days been very present on the social media with crucial messages of peace, national unity and living together.

Shawn-Nathan Epang

Cameroon’s unity and integration has never been threatened before as it is the case now. Since independence, Cameroon has known peace and unity until recent cracks on the wall and the very foundation of the country’s unity showed their ugly face recently. The country is being attacked from different angles by extremist forces both within and without the national territory.

The country that was hitherto a peace haven in the turbulent sub-Saharan region is today engaged in battles combating terrorists’ attacks from the nebulous Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North Region, incursions into the Cameroonian territory by Central African Republic rebels in the East Region and now the secessionist attacks in the two English-speaking regions of the country. In fact, secessionist group in the North West and South West Regions are threatening to separate the two regions from Cameroon, contrary to the Constitution and wish of vast majority of Cameroonians who have been living together. The hate language and secessionist ideologies are most perpetrated on the social media by some unscrupulous Cameroonians mostly living in the diaspora.

It is against this backdrop that the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, has taken peace and unity and national integration messages to the social media. The target of the Head of State, is mostly youths who are today being manipulated. In some of his recent Facebook and twitter post, the President of the Republic has as usual been preaching peace, unity, living together and national cohesion. “Cameroon’s unity is a precious and solid foundation of nation-building,” President Biya states in one of his Facebook post. In the same post, the President of the Republic says “In Cameroon, we are doomed to be united…it is in this precious and solid foundation that we are committed to pursue the magnificent task of Nation-building…” The post attracted over 3 million likes, 147 comments and 96 shares on Facebook.

In yet another post, the Head of State is whipping up the spirit of patriotism and nation-building among Cameroonians. “Therefore, fellow Cameroonians from here and elsewhere, all of us should, in renewed spirit of patriotism and active participation, set ourselves to the task with great enthusiasm… to transform Cameroon into a truly powerful State…” the post reads.  These are clear signs that the Head of State has the zeal and determination to promote peace, unity and equitable development across the country.

President Paul Biya it should be noted, has been encouraging Cameroonian youth to adopt a responsible use of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) especially the social media. He recently donated 500,000 laptop computers to students of higher institutions of learning in the country.