Colonel Thierry (Cameroonian army): “Peace is our main motivation”

In a world riddled with conflict, the question of peace resonates with particular intensity for the military. In this context, the presence of the Cameroonian delegation at the International Military Pilgrimage (PMI) of Lourdes resonates in a particular way. For several years, their country has been confronted with multiple forms of violence: terrorism from Boko Haram in the Far North, separatist tensions in the English-speaking regions, social fractures and a crisis of political confidence. A few weeks after the visit of Pope Leo Aleteia on his country’s quest for peace and the momentum generated by the visit of the Holy Father.

Aleteia: Cameroon has been participating in the International Military Pilgrimage since 2022. What does this meeting in Lourdes represent for you?
Colonel ThierryÂ: The International Military Pilgrimage is very important for our country. Cameroon is a secular state, but deeply marked by a Christian tradition and a culture of living together. For us, this meeting therefore has both spiritual and human significance.

Personally, as a Catholic, I experience this PMI with great pleasure. This pilgrimage represents a great brotherhood between the armies of the world. It is a time of contemplation, renewal and sharing, which allows us to go beyond borders and differences to come together around the same aspiration for peace.

Cameroon is currently experiencing several security and social challenges. In this context, what gives you hope for building lasting peace?
Cameroon is a country under permanent construction. It is often called “Africa in miniature†because of its cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity, as well as its many riches. Like many other nations around the world, we face security and social challenges that are neither unique nor atypical.

Cameroon is fighting with the authorities in place to try to resolve them. Despite these trials, our country is a blessed country which has already received visits from three popes: John Paul II in 1985 and 1995; Benedict XVI in 2009; and latterly Pope Leo XIV.

Precisely, after the strong words of the Pope on peace and dialogue, have you felt a new impetus being born in your country?
Yes, totally! Our country is in love with peace and fraternity. Peace is our main motivation, it is what we are striving for, behind our head of state and all of the country’s institutions.

In Lourdes, we carried our country and our families in prayer, in communion with all the other military communities. We hope that they will bear fruit, not only for Cameroon, but also for the whole world, which today faces many threats and tensions. More than ever, we must work together for peace.