National Day Celebration: Over 33,000 civilians march in Yaounde

The 20th May civilian march past in Yaounde followed immediately after the military segment with 33,357 persons taking part in the exercise.

Those marching included pupils from primary schools, students from secondary schools and higher institutions of learning and political parties represented in the National Assembly and Senate.

This phase of the march past opened with the presentation of a symbolic mascot by students of the National Institute of Youths and Sports (INJS).

The mascot, major innovation this year, consisted of a Cameroon map in a sphere-like space, representative of Cameroon’s move towards emergence.

Two primary and secondary schools from each of the seven subdivisions of the Mfoundi represented the Division in this year’s civilian march past.

The pupils and students carried patriotic messages and banners, waved little flags and sang six patriotic songs on fighting terrorism and indiscipline, promoting emergence, second generation agriculture and the digital economy.

The patriotic songs were in English, French and older local languages in line with Government’s efforts to promote the mother-tongue in schools.

After primary and secondary schools came higher institutions of learning with bold marching steps, intriguing choreographic displays by cheerleaders and impeccable rhythms by brass bands.

The Protestant University of Central Africa (UPAC) marched alongside the higher institutions of learning in its maiden appearance at the May 20 Boulevard exercise.

Nine political parties took part in the march past, brandishing unity-inclined messages while chanting patriotic songs.

The parties represented included: the National Salvation Front (MNSC/FSNC), National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP/UNDP), Movement for the
Defense of the Republic (MDR), Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU), Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), National Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ANDP), Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), Social Democratic Front (SDF) and the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM/RDPC).

Each political party was uniformly dressed and organised and their marching crowned the 20th May 2016 march past which lasted about three hours.