Categories A la Une Archives Nationales Art mode et design

«Douala:Ngondo Festival Officially Receives UNESCO’s Certificate as intangible heritage» By Albert Njebusi The traditional and water worship oracle ritual festival of the Sawa people ‘Ngondo’ officially received UNESCO’s certificate on Saturday, July 5, 2025.This was during a ceremony at the Sawa Cultural Centre in Douala, Littoral Region.This certificate confirms the festival’s inscription on the prestigious Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, following the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on December 4, 2024, in Asunción, Paraguay.The certificate was received from UNESCO Acting Director of the Central African Sub-Regional Office, Hilaire Mputu, and handed over to the current President of the Ngondo Festival, His Royal Majesty Milord Paul Mbappé Mbwanga.The handover was presided by the Personal Representative of the Head of State at the ceremony, Bidoung Mkpatt, accompanied by the Littoral Governor, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua. The event was attended by government ministers, diplomatic representatives, local, traditional, and religious authorities of the Region.Speaking at the event, UNESCO Acting Central African Sub-Regional Director, Hilaire Mputu, appreciated the work done by the technical interministerial team.“It was not an easy job, but I am impressed with the successful collaboration between UNESCO’s sub-regional office and the Ministry of Arts and Culture to see through the inscription of Ngondo on the prestigious Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, he said.He added that: “UNESCO is always ready to accompany Cameroon in safeguarding her rich cultural diversity. I can boldly announce that Gourna and Mvet are on good footing and will be examined at the upcoming 20th UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee session scheduled for December 2025 in India”.In his address, the Ngondo Festival current President, His Royal Majesty Milord Paul Mbappé Mbwanga, applauded the Head of State for personally supporting Ngondo’s UNESCO admission. He equally seized the opportunity to call on the sons and daughters of the Sawa land to unite more than ever to make the Ngondo festival more powerful and visible.Meanwhile, the Minister of Arts and Culture Bidoung Mkpatt, representing the Head of State, expressed gratitude saying, “Ngondo’s inscription is a high point of recognition of our rich cultural diversity. It wasn’t an easy task, but energies were united to make it successful”.He also announced ongoing efforts to inscribe other cultural heritages.“We still have Gourna and Fantasia from the Sudano-Sahelian cultural area, Mvet from the Fang-Beti and Achu from the Grassfields cultural areas undergoing studies for inscription. I can proudly say in the days ahead, Cameroon may have its first tangible cultural site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, that is the Dig-itbi cultural landscape on the Mandara Mountains in the Far North Region. Other files under consideration include ‘Les Gorges de Kolaa’, the Bafut fon’s Palace, and the Ekom Nkam Waterfall”.About NgondoThe Ngondo Festival is an annual water worship oracle ritual established in 1949 by Stephane Ndoumbe Ekale Ngondo in Douala, shortly after the Douala lineages split into the competing chiefdoms of King Bell and King Akwa. The Water Oracle worship occurs at the banks of the Wouri River every first week of December.This major cultural gathering involves over six million people across Cameroon’s coastal areas from Campo (South Region) to Mamfe (Southwest Region).Prof Nsaame Mbongo, Head of the Scientific Water Oracle Team, explained the ceremony’s highlight, ‘Jengu’, where a devotee enters the Wouri River to visit the underwater kingdom of ‘Miengu’ (the plural of Jengu), believed to be mermaids granting good luck to worshipers.He added that “According to tradition, the devotee remains underwater for hours with a vase, allowing the Oracle to transmit spiritual messages. The devotee usually emerges dry, and the messages he brings are for the Sawa people and Cameroon as a whole. This water is used for blessing”.Due to its powerful spiritual manifestations, we learned, the Ngondo Festival was banned by the Cameroon government in 1981 and reinstated in 1991.This certificate handover occurred one week after the launch of the 2025 edition of the Ngondo Festival at the Wouri-Bwele Island under the theme: ‘Jo ngouanele’ (Solidarity). The festival is scheduled for the first week of December 2025.

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#CamCultureInfo🇨🇲«Zebra Comics: Superman -Chariot of the gods»Celebrating The cultural cooperation between the USA and the Republic of Cameroon, the Digital Fest official launch happened this morning at the Ubuntu Creative Hub in Montee Park, Yaoundé. The event, powered by the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon, celebrated a collaboration between Zebra comics from Cameroon and DC Comics from the United States of America. Organized by Zebra Comics, under the theme “Superman and Epasa Moto”.The festival designed to highlight and promote Cameroon’s growing animation industry by showcasing a range of locally made cartoons and animated features.The artistic director of the Ubuntu creative hub; Tito Chifor in his welcome remark highlighted that the event was a discovery of creativity, where poetry meets imagery and where arts is expressed.Nathanael Ejob, founder of Zebra comics presented the Superman -Chariot of the gods , an educative comic video, to showcase some cultural elements particularly from the South West region of our country. The inaugural ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Arts and Culture. He was joined by the United States Ambassador to Cameroon, Christopher J. Lamora, alongside representatives of diplomatic missions.During his intervention, the U.S. Ambassador applauded the innovative initiative, emphasizing that the partnership between DC Comics and Zebra Comics represents a significant new dimension in the cooperation between Cameroon and the United States.The Minister of Arts and Culture in his speech praised the founder of Zebra Comics for his brilliant concept. He extended his gratitude to the U.S. Ambassador for his steadfast support in strengthening cultural cooperation. He then emphasized that the Digital Comic Fest is a significant platform for showcasing Cameroon’s vast cultural potential to the global community particularly in the areas of cinema and Audio-visual Productions.The bearer of the project together with his production team were encouraged to work hand in gloves with the ministry of Arts and Culture to have more opportunities not only for the technical assistance and accompaniment of the technical department in charge of audio visual production but also for more platforms for creativity.Celcom/MINAC MAALUM. N, & Albert Njebusi

Remise du certificat d’inscription du site culturel Diy Gid Biy aux lamibe du Moto Moscota et de Koza par M. le Ministre des Arts et de la Culture représentant personnel du Chef de L Etat

#CamCultureInfo🇨🇲En prélude au grand meeting de remerciement des populations de l’ Extrême Nord au Chef de l’État pour l’ inscription du patrimoine culturel de Diy Gid Biy des Monts Mandara sur la liste du patrimoine mondial qui aura lieu aujourd’hui, lundi 1er septembre 2025, un concert s’est déroulé à la place des fêtes de Maroua hier dimanche 31 août 2025.Le Ministre des Arts et de la Culture, représentant personnel du Chef de l’État a pris part en compagnie du Gouverneur de la région d’Extrême Nord et de l’ Ambassadeur du Cameroun en France, par ailleurs, Représentant du Cameroun auprès de l’UNESCO.Des rythmes de la région et des poems pour décrire le site de Diy Gid Biy. L’orchestre national a accompagné les artistes de la région dans leurs prestations.La cérémonie de remise du certificat et de remerciement sera en direct sur Crtv-a à partir de 11h ce lundi 1 septembre 2025.Celcom/MINAC Maalum N.

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