Musonge Commission Sends Teams Abroad to Assess Bilingualism in Diplomatic Missions

The National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (NCPBM) has dispatched teams abroad. Their mission is to evaluate the use of Cameroon’s official languages, English and French, within its diplomatic missions abroad.

In a communiqué signed on Monday, June 23, by the Commission’s President, Peter Mafany Musonge, the NCPBM announced that missions have been deployed to Spain, Turkey, Japan, and Italy.

According to Musonge, the teams will assess the implementation of Cameroon’s national policy on official languages within these diplomatic services.

“During their stay, the members of the CNPBM will raise awareness among the staff of the said diplomatic representations on the importance of effectively promoting the use of the two official languages in the performance of their duties,” he stated.

Dual Mission

In addition to the language audit, the teams will sensitise embassy and consular staff to the spirit and provisions of the Law of December 24, 2019, on the promotion of official languages in Cameroon.

They will also collect suggestions from staff on how best to enhance bilingualism in Cameroon’s foreign representations.

The mission will further engage with diplomatic staff on the dangers of hate speech and xenophobia.

“In turn, they will raise awareness among Cameroonians living in their areas of jurisdiction of the need to combat hate speech and promote cohesion and harmony in the countries where they reside in this election year in Cameroon,” the Commission added.

Not First Time

This is not the first time the NCPBM is carrying out such an initiative. In 2023, similar missions were undertaken to Cameroonian embassies in Washington, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Abuja, and Pretoria. Earlier in 2024, teams also visited Ottawa, Beijing, Riyadh, and Abidjan.

“The current missions are part of the implementation of the Commission’s action plan for the 2025 fiscal year, approved by the Presidency of the Republic,” said Musonge.

The NCPBM is a government agency created by President Paul Biya in 2017 as one way to strengthen national unity. It also aimed to promote peace through the effective use of French and English.

The institution is an offshoot of the 2016 Anglophone Crisis, which started after Anglophone teachers and lawyers protested against marginalisation.

The commission has carried out missions to schools, hospitals and diplomatic institutions to sensitise people on bilingualism.

MMI