By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, PAV – The second vice-president of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Louis-Marie Kakdeu, has questioned why Cameroon continues to celebrate dates linked to political structures that no longer exist, while failing to commemorate the country’s current constitutional identity officially.
In a statement published by the Sun Newspaper, Louis-Marie Kakdeu said most countries around the world celebrate either their Independence Day or Liberation Day as a symbol of national identity and sovereignty. Cameroon, however, follows a “complex” trajectory.
Louis-Marie Kakdeu noted that Cameroon does not officially commemorate January 1, 1960, the independence of French Cameroon, or October 1, 1961, the date marking the reunification with Southern Cameroons.
Instead, the country celebrates February 11, 1961, the date of the plebiscite that led to the creation of the Federal Republic of Cameroon, and May 20, 1972, the referendum that established the United Republic of Cameroon. Both political structures have since disappeared following constitutional changes.
“We do not commemorate February 4, 1984, the date of the return to the name ‘Republic of Cameroon,’ which nevertheless exists,” Kakdeu stated. “The question, therefore, is what the meaning of the national holiday in Cameroon is.”
The SDF official questioned whether the national unity celebrated every May 20 is truly reflected in the country’s political and institutional realities or whether it remains largely symbolic.
The statement argues that while efforts have been made over the years to preserve both the English-speaking and French-speaking subsystems through bilingual universities, an integrated army, unified public institutions, and regional balance in appointments, underlying tensions have persisted.
Kakdeu acknowledged some reforms introduced after the 2019 Major National Dialogue, including the special status granted to the North West and South West regions, the creation of a Common Law Section at the Supreme Court and ENAM, and the translation of legal texts into English legal culture.
However, Louis-Marie Kakdeu said the Anglophone crisis remains the greatest threat to Cameroon’s national unity since independence. He described the crisis in the North West and South West regions as “a deep identity fracture,” recalling that what began in 2016 as corporate demands by English-speaking lawyers and teachers later evolved into an armed conflict.
According to the statement, the conflict has led to more than 6,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons, and the destruction of several villages. Louis-Marie Kakdeu identified other threats to social cohesion, including regional inequalities, political tribalism, insecurity linked to Boko Haram attacks in the Far North, instability along Cameroon’s borders, youth unemployment, and growing distrust in public institutions.
The statement warned that continued marginalisation and development imbalances risk deepening identity-based tensions and weakening the country’s social fabric.
Kakdeu also expressed concern over what he described as the increasing ethnicization of politics and the use of tribal loyalties during elections and public appointments.
He further highlighted the frustrations of young Cameroonians faced with unemployment, corruption, and limited economic opportunities, warning that such conditions create fertile ground for radicalisation and civic disengagement.
While recognising Cameroon’s cultural diversity and human potential, the SDF insisted that symbolic celebrations alone would not be enough to preserve national unity. “Social cohesion is not an acquired state; it is a living process nourished by justice, inclusion and mutual recognition,” the statement read.
Louis-Marie Kakdeu has called for “courageous structural reforms” aimed at addressing the root causes of division and restoring trust among citizens. As a priority recommendation, he urged the government to seek a lasting political solution to the Anglophone crisis through a negotiated ceasefire and inclusive dialogue backed by constitutional guarantees.
According to Kakdeu, resolving the conflict in the North West and South West regions should become the government’s top national priority in 2026 if Cameroon hopes to consolidate national unity and avoid deeper fragmentation.
