Youths in Far North commit against religious extremism

"Cameroonian Youth committed against violent extremism and radicalization", this is the theme that 50 leaders of youth associations working in the Far North region took part in a sensitization workshop against the sect Boko Haram in Maroua.

According to the daily Mutations newspaper of August 13, 2015, this vast national campaign by leaders of youth organizations started on July 25 and runs until 5 September.

For Fidèle Djebba, president of the association of Rayons de Soleil, initiator of this project in partnership with the National Youth Council, "specifically, the project aims to stimulate a surge of patriotism among young people and raise their awareness on the issues and challenges on the current security crisis in Cameroon. It also aims to educate the youth against radicalization and recruitment into extremist groups, and especially young people to form the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts within their community."

As for Djagra Ibrahim, president of the National Council of Journalists in Cameroon, he believes that "the war against Boko Haram cannot be won without the participation of youth in all segments of everyday life. Therefore, during this campaign, we will help the government in raising awareness against the recruitment of young people by Boko Haram and looking for the right information to the subjects of actions and people suspected of belonging to the pernicious sect".

At the end of the workshop, "participants clearly identified and listed several awareness actions to be taken throughout the project and developed a joint statement on peace and security and set a restitution plan of work at the local level," the paper concludes.