January 07, (THEWILL) – Hundreds of Muslims and Christians gathered in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital, to pray for peace during the Africa Football Cup of Nations games. From Sunday through February 6, Cameroon will host the continent’s most prestigious football competition.
Cameroon is hosting Africa’s biggest football tournament, which begins on Sunday, January 9, which could be disrupted by anglophone separatists in the country’s western regions. According to police, the rebels detonated a device in one of the locations where the matches will be held on Thursday, but no one was harmed.
In Arabic, Imam Souleymane Bouba of Yaoundé’s Tsinga Mosques prayed to God to protect football players, supporters, and match officials travelling to Cameroon for the TotalEnergies 2021 African Football Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Jean Mbarga, archbishop of Yaounde, was among the more than 60 Muslim and Christian clerics present. Mbarga claims that the prayer at Yaounde’s Mary Queen of Apostles Basilica begged God to intervene for a peaceful AFCON.
Mbarga says he believes Cameroonians are passionate about football and will come out to support their team, the Indomitable Lions, as well as other African teams. According to him, AFCON should usher in a new era for a Cameroon that is peaceful, strong and united.
He claims that Muslims and Christians have prayed together for the safety of players, match officials, and football fans attending the AFCON in Cameroon.
Mbarga and the preacher who attended the prayer believe that because Cameroonians love football, the AFCON will help the country get out of the quagmire it has been in in various difficult areas.
The prayer was arranged by the Cameroon Association for Inter-religious Dialogue, according to Mbarga. President Paul Biya was represented at the prayer by Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.
At least 400 people, 20 ministries, and top state functionaries attended the prayer, according to the Cameroon Association for Interreligious Dialogue.
Separatists trying to establish an independent English-speaking state in the predominantly French-speaking country have threatened to disrupt the games. Separatists claim to be fighting Cameroon government forces on social media sites such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
The activities of these Separatists have made Limbe and Buea unsafe zones. Teams from Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, and Tunisia will compete in group matches in Limbe and Buea, two English-speaking western towns.
These separatist militants claimed they detonated the roadside bomb in Half Mile, a Limbe area, on Thursday.
Daniel Capo, the deputy defence chief of the Ambazonia Defence Forces, an English-speaking rebel group in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions, and he claimed that despite the overwhelming presence of Cameroon forces, fighters have pledged to disrupt the games in Limbe:
“The Cameroon government has drawn our forces [separatists] to those venues because they have stationed their military in those areas so we shall combat them.
“On the 30th of December we planted an IED [improvised explosive device] at Half Mile, today [Thursday] again we planted another IED to send a message to all the visitors that are coming to watch football to understand that they are putting themselves in harm’s way.”
The Cameroon military acknowledged the explosion in Limbe on Thursday, but described it as a one-off attempt to terrorise football spectators, players, and officials. Although no one was hurt, the administration urged residents to help the military by reporting suspected fighters in their neighbourhoods.
Last week, Biya urged people to utilise AFCON as an opportunity to turn a new page in a country that has been plagued by difficulties.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
