In a pathetic sketch presented yesterday June 20 at the Yaounde City Council premises on the occasion of the World Refugee Day, several Members of Government, members of the Diplomatic Corps and a cross section of Cameroonians came face-to-face with the difficult situation in which difficult choices have to be made by people in war-torn zones. In the sketch, a refugee who is the head of a family, presented the dilemma he faced having to flee from his home leaving his family in a near-by farm, his son who had gone to school and his mother who refused to escape rebels approaching his home. This sketch ties with the theme of the 2012 Refugees Day which is “Dilemma.”
The over 110,000 refugees in Cameroon who are mostly from the Central Africa Republic, Chad, Rwanda, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo used the day to expressed gratitude to all Cameroonians, particularly to the Head State for the hospitality shown them in Cameroon. While acknowledging the assistance given to them in terms of food, judicial protection and other actions to ameliorate their poor living conditions, the refugees called on the population to join them in reflecting on the theme of celebration because dilemma is that state which is always in their hearts when they are about to flee from their country and when they have already escaped. The campaign “Dilemma” launched by the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, depicts some of the tough choices facing refugees, helping the public to empathize with and understand their dilemma. Refugees say they want others to have increased understanding of why they need help. “Refugees have no choice. You do!” refugees noted.
Speeches delivered during the event addressed the challenges in providing assistance to refugees worldwide. The Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in Charge of the Commonwealth, Joseph Dion Ngute, used the occasion to salute the courage of all refugees in Cameroon despite their difficult living conditions. He said the event reaffirms Cameroon’s sense of solidarity towards foreigners in the country.
