National Unity: General Interest First

National unity is the main pillar on which Cameroon stands and the key prerequisite for the country’s socio-cultural, economic and political development. The Head of State, President Paul Biya is banking on national unity for the success of his just-started new seven- year term of office. It is with the acknowledgement of national unity that gives priority to general interest that Pre- sident Paul Biya in his 2026 New Year message to the nation on December 31, 2025 stated, “I would like to reiterate my appeal for unity in the best interest of our beloved and great country. I know I can count on your unwavering support in this regard.” As in previous messages to the nation, he always presented Cameroon’s diversity as an undeniable asset and source of pride. Cameroon’s cultural, religious and linguistic diversity are a source of envy from the country’s admirers and the diversity must be harnessed through the consolidation of bonds of living to- gether and national unity in order to propel the country’s development efforts. Despite the fact that national unity is the bedrock on which solid development and progress are built, the culture of living together, and pride of unity with country first, some citizens either in- tentionally or through ignorance are sewing seeds of division and putting at stake the unity Cameroon’s founding fathers put in place and jealously fought to preserve. The Head of State in his message to the nation acknowledged the challenges of general interest as efforts are forged to enhance and prosper national unity. “I would like to stress the need to step up our col- lective efforts to promote living together and consolidate national unity in the face of cultural isolationism and hate speech that are replete in the media and threatening the very foundations of our beloved and great country, Cameroon.” All citizens need to live as one person, show great attachment and commitment to national unity that will ensure general interest and de- velopment. Proponents of secession as witnessed in the ongoing security crisis in the English- speaking North West and South West Regions, ideologies of Boko Haram terrorist sect in the Far North Region should understand that it is only when we are united as a country that de- velopment and wellbeing of citizens can be gua- ranteed. To tackle the security crisis and Boko Haram insurgencies, government has deployed a battery of measures. The Head of State during his swearing-in ceremony on November 6, 2025 prescribed community dialogue as one of the measures. He still came back to it during the new year message. For the love of country that must remain united with the attainment of ge- neral interest as the guiding goal, stakeholders in the crisis-affected regions must embrace the community dialogue strategy and work hard to ensure that it yields the fruits of quenching di- visive tendencies...