An Open Letter to the Authorities of Cameroon
By Dr. Jude Mutah
Dear Leaders of Cameroon,
Our culture is one rooted in tradition, where we respect our elders and follow their example. From childhood, we are taught that the path of wisdom is to observe, to listen, and to emulate those who lead us. We know that the youth will follow the example set by their elders. This can be a great blessing when our leaders act with integrity and compassion, but it can also become a grave danger when they abandon the values that hold our society together. It is therefore with a heavy heart that I write this letter.
We have been raised on certain basic truths: do not strike your brother, do not steal, and always treat others with dignity. These are not merely words; they are the moral foundations that have guided families and communities across generations. Yet today, in our political life, too many of these principles are being forgotten. When leaders disregard honesty and fairness, when they cling to power at any cost, they teach others to do the same. When those in authority fail to lose with dignity, they teach a generation that victory is worth more than virtue.
The recent elections were more than a political contest. They were a cry from the hearts of millions of Cameroonians, men, women, and youth, yearning for their voices to be heard, for their votes to count, and for their future to be secured. To disregard these voices is to ignore the soul of the nation itself. The people are not an obstacle to power; they are its very foundation. Love for Cameroon must therefore mean love for its people, their choice, and their collective well-being.
No power is worth the blood of a single innocent citizen. No ambition justifies the tears of mothers burying their sons, or the silence of children robbed of laughter by the sound of gunfire. We have walked this path before. We have seen the pain, the displacement, and the despair. To repeat it would be to betray not only our history but also our humanity.
Cameroonians in the Northwest and Southwest regions, those at home and those scattered across the globe, still dream of returning to a peaceful homeland. They dream of rebuilding, of reconciling, and of reclaiming the joy of belonging. But that dream fades each time violence overshadows dialogue, and each time political interest triumphs over compassion.
Your leadership holds the power to heal or to harm, to unite or to divide. The true strength of a nation is not in its weapons or its wealth, but in the peace that its people enjoy. Today, the call is not for confrontation but for conscience, not for dominance but for dignity, not for victory over others but for victory over fear and hatred.
I appeal to you as compatriots and as guardians of our nation’s destiny: listen to the will of the people. Respect their voice. Protect their vote. Remember the lessons our parents taught us: do not strike your brother, do not steal what is not yours, and lead by example. To lose with dignity is not weakness; it is strength. And it is through such dignity that true peace and reconciliation can take root.
The future of this country, our shared home, depends on your courage to choose peace over pride and unity over division. May wisdom, compassion, and the spirit of nationhood guide you in this solemn hour. The world is watching, but more importantly, the hearts of millions of Cameroonians are waiting, yearning for a reason to hope again.
With deep respect and enduring hope,
Dr. Jude Mutah
