Culture ministry pledges support for Mayi festival.

This was during an audience the member of government granted the monarch and her delegation on April 29, in Yaounde. 

Discussions centered on preparations ahead of the 110th edition of the Mayi Festival, a commemorative celebration of the Batanga people.

Activities for the commemoration, which began on February 14, will run until May 9, 2026, under the theme: “Mayi: The Wisdom of Returning to the Strength of Our Umbilical Cord”.

Speaking during the audience, HRM Mahouve IV hailed the ministry for its technical support. She also pleaded with Minister Bidoung Mkpatt to find time for his busy schedule to chair the closing ceremony of the festival.

“This event is very important to our community,” she said, noting that this edition willfeature traditional purification, homage to ancestors, beach soccer, beach volleyball, and the training of 110 young people in the customs and traditions of the Batanga people. 

The traditional ruler also mentioned other activities to include public beach bath and a cultural caravan on May 9.

She added that the festival also commemorates the return of their ancestors to their native land after two years of exile during World War I.

“It is to tell the world that what happened during that time is forgiven but not forgotten,” she stated.

HRM Mahouve IV pleaded for the Mayi festival to be elevated to the same level as other community festivals and for the return of cultural artefacts illicitly exported during the colonial period.

“This will help our event gain global recognition and pave the way for its inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” she said.

The traditional leader used the opportunity to present the community’s cultural projects, including the construction of the Batanga Museum and a commemorative monument dedicated to the deportation and return of the Batanga people to their native land.

On his part, Minister Bidoung Mkpatt saluted the resilience and efforts made to maintain the festival for over a century. 

He reassured HRM Mahouve IV of the ministry’s support in preparing the application file for the inscription of the Mayi Festival.

The minister also established a committee led by the Inspector General to facilitate the creation of a detailed and complete dossier.

“All that you have listed falls within the mission of the Ministry of Arts and Culture. I assure you that the technical team at your disposal will guide you through all your cultural projects”, Bidoung Mkpatt stated.

While confirming his attendance at the Mayi festival, minister wished the Batanga people a successful commemoration.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3780 of Tuesday May 05, 2026