Africa Up Close

Over the years I have keenly observed various speeches made by Cameroon’s head of state, some senior government officials, and even casual conversations among fellow Cameroonians. I am baffled at how many of them define peace in this 21^st century. During the 2014 Africa-U.S. leader summit, I was fortunate to attend one of the side events in Washington, DC titled “Investing in Africa,” where president Paul Biya was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech. He was absent, however, and his minister in charge of private duties gave the president’s speech in his stead. During the memorably absurd 20 minutes address, a single sentence quickly caught my attention: “our country enjoys peace and stability with democratic institutions, which are solid and functioning normally”. These words left me pondering over what truly constitutes peace in any given society. Does the absence of war truly mean peace?

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