Solomon Tembang Mforgham

Thousands of Christian in Cameroon on Saturday 11 July in the economic capital, Douala, staged a peaceful protest march against the country’s ratification of the Maputo Protocol, legalising abortion and homosexuality.

The Christians particularly from the Douala Archdiocese were led by Christian Cardinal Tumi. They also handed a petition to administrative officials of the Littoral Region to be transmitted to the Head of State, Paul Biya.

The Christians carrying placards, some of which read “homosexuality is an abomination,” “do not legalise sin,” marched for almost two hours and converged on the St Peters and Paul Cathedral where a special mass was said.

Talking to the press after the mass, Cardinal Tumi said abortion was an abomination.
“The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI already spoke on this agreement. The association of the African conferences of Bishops and the one in Madagascar had spoken and quite a number of dioceses have already spoken. That is the reason why we organised this manifestation and we ended with a mass to pray for those who are involved in these practices for God to forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” Cardinal Tumi said.

In his homily, the man of God vehemently condemned the Maputo Protocol legalising voluntary abortion, urging Christians to protect and respect lives. Cardinal Tumi said children were the future of the world and there was no justification to allow for voluntary abortion. He singled out and castigated article 14 of the Maputo Protocol and said only heterosexual marriages were permitted by God.

The coadjutor Archbishop of the Douala Archdiocese, Samuel Kleda, on his part reiterated the fact that abortion was an abominable act.

To one of the Christians who took part in the march; “The government is failing to understand that it is fighting against God. And if you are fighting against God then it is evident that your regime is moving towards its end. If those who are in power are homosexuals let them understand that our children should not practice what our great grand parents did not do”.

Meanwhile, a politician who has also been very vocal against the Maputo Protocol, Chief A.S. Ngwana, leader of the Cardinal Democratic Party, CDP, and some of his militants joined in the march.

They marched from the Cathedral to the Governor’s office in Bonanjo where the petition to the President was handed.

Talking to the press, Chief AS Ngwana said issues like abortion and homosexuality transcend politics since, according to him, they concern the well being of future Cameroonians.

Chief Ngwana had told a press conference a week earlier that he would not hesitate to undertake a nationwide campaign against the Maputo Protocol until the Head of State withdrew Cameroon from it. To him, legalising abortion was a ploy from the West to check the African population.