National Day: Time to heal, time to rebuild together.

National Unity Day is not merely a date on the calendar. It is a reminder of the promise we made to one another: that despite our differences of language, culture, region, religion, or political opinion, Cameroon remains our shared inheritance.

This year, more than ever, our country needs a spirit of healing, responsibility, and renewed trust. We must have the courage to speak honestly about our wounds, but also the wisdom not to allow those wounds to define our future.

We are equally called to acknowledge, with gratitude and respect, the unwavering commitment of His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic, Head of State, who has consistently placed peace at the very heart of his governance. Through sustained Statesmanship and deliberate acts of leadership, he has demonstrated time and again that dialogue and reconciliation are not merely aspirations, they are the foundations upon which Cameroon's future must be built. National Unity Day is therefore also a moment to honour that vision and to commit ourselves, as citizens, to walking faithfully in that same direction.

For too long, many families, especially in the North West, South West and Far North Regions, have carried the pain of conflict, displacement, fear, and uncertainty. 

Too many children have grown up under the shadow of division. Too many communities have waited for the return of peace.

But National Unity Day reminds us that no part of Cameroon should feel forgotten, abandoned, or left behind. Unity cannot be reduced to slogans or ceremonies. It must be lived through justice, dialogue, inclusion, development, and respect for the dignity of every citizen.

To our sons and daughters who feel distant from the nation, I say: Cameroon still has room for you. The door to reconciliation must remain open. The path to peace may be difficult, but it is still possible when courage meets humility.

To our mothers, fathers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, teachers, youths, and community builders, I say: continue to be the guardians of hope. Peace is not built only in offices or institutions. It is also built in homes, villages, classrooms, churches, mosques, markets, and hearts.

To all Cameroonians, from Mamfe to Maroua, from Buea to Bertoua, from Bamenda to Douala, from Garoua to Yaounde, let us remember that unity is not uniformity. 

We do not need to erase our identities in order to belong to one nation. Our diversity is not a weakness. It is the beauty and strength of Cameroon.

As we raise our flag and sing our anthem, let us also renew a simple but powerful commitment: This is the year we choose peace over bitterness; this is the year we choose dialogue over division; and this is the year we rebuild trust, restore hope, and walk together again.

       May National Unity Day awaken in each of us a deeper love for our country and a stronger commitment to the future of our children.

May peace return fully to our hills and valleys. May justice and reconciliation guide our national journey. And may Cameroon, our common homeland, rise stronger in unity, dignity, and hope.

Yaounde, May 20, 2026

*H.E Fai Yengo Francis is former Governor