By Boris Esono Nwenfor
LIMBE, Cameroon—To promote national unity and combat rising tensions fueled by hate speech, tribalism, and xenophobia, the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (NCPBM) has leveraged the Limbe Royal Cultural Festival to spread its message of peace and coexistence.
In the build-up to crucial elections in Cameroon this year, the political atmosphere is heating up and the use of divisive language and hate speech are becoming widespread. It is against this backdrop that officials at the NCPBM used the Limbe Royal Cultural Festival that ran from March 21-22 to continue to cultivate social cohesion and peaceful coexistence before, during and after elections in Cameroon.
Limene Emmanuel, Head of Division, Promotion of Multiculturalism and Living Together at the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism said: “The Commission is taking an opportunity of events like the Limbe Royal Cultural Festival to preach peace, especially in a year like 2025 where because of the political stakes we have in the country there are tunes of hate speech, there are tunes of tribalism, there are tunes of xenophobia.”
“An event like the Limbe Royal Cultural Festival brings Cameroonians from diverse backgrounds and even non-Cameroonians to Limbe, which is a town that has welcomed so many people from diverse backgrounds who are gathered together in one place. We are just here to see Cameroonians, people in Limbe, and the people in the South West should continue to live in peace, they should continue to live together, stop hate speech, stop anything that is division, anything that will push Cameroonians to want to react against the other person.”
Addressing Language and Cultural Discrimination
Beyond promoting peace, the Commission highlighted its role in addressing complaints related to language and cultural discrimination. The regional office of the NCPBM in the South West, operational for two years now, encourages citizens to report any cases of discrimination based on language, ethnicity, or culture.
“If someone feels discriminated against because of their language or cultural background, they can bring their concerns to the Commission,” Limene Emmanuel added.
“We equally want to tell them that we have a toll-free number. If you cannot come to the Commission, you can call our toll-free number. The Commission receives petitions, addresses them all, transmits them to the highest hierarchy, who is the President of the Republic.”
Promoting Bilingualism and Social Cohesion
The Commission is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating Cameroon’s national policy on official languages within state institutions, public enterprises, private businesses, and even diplomatic representations.
Through initiatives like the Limbe Royal Cultural Festival, the Government Action Fair, and outreach to various organizations, the NCPBM continues to reinforce the equal status of the country’s two official languages (French and English) while fostering an environment where all cultures are respected.
With the country navigating a politically sensitive period, the Commission’s efforts to promote bilingualism, multiculturalism, and national unity remain crucial. The Commission has called on Cameroonians to continue upholding the culture of tolerance, solidarity, mutual understanding and fraternal love, without which, the unity and stability of the country may be threatened. They maintain that elections will come and go, but Cameroon remains, and its citizens are condemned to live together, no matter what.
