Cameroonian people welcome Heads of State..

The Yaounde Hilton Hotel witnessed a bee-hive moment of delegations streaming in for Yaounde Conference. «Welcome to Cameroon: Africa in miniature”. This was the message in a banner conspicuously positioned at the entrance to the Yaounde Hilton, the lodging place for most foreign delegations that are participating in the Yaounde Conference dubbed ” Africa 21″. The conference that will take place between today and tomorrow, May 18 and 19, is organised under the theme, “Africa, an opportunity for the world: Realities and challenges”.

The visiting delegations could equally read another message in a banner, “President Paul Biya and the Cameroonian people happily welcome Heads of State to the celebrations of 50th anniversaries of the independence and reunification of Cameroon”. The messages and traditional dance displays by the “Association des Femmes Sociales de Yaounde” (AFESYDE) and groups of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) supporters added colour to the festive but solemn reception ceremony.

Two Heads of State arrived in the Yaounde Hilton Hotel last evening. The President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré set the ball rolling. Accompanied by his wife, Chantal Compaoré, he entered the hotel at 6:45 pm. The President of Sao Tome and Principe, Fradique de Menezes on his part, arrived at 8:16 pm.

In between the arrival of the two Heads of State, other delegations kept on streaming into the Hilton Hotel. The President of the African Union Commission, Jean Ping led the delegation of the African Union. Also noticeable were the Mayor of Bordeaux and former Prime Minister of France, Alain Juppé and the President of the Scientific Council of the Chantal Biya Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management , Professor Luc Montagnier.