Cameroon holds ecummenical service in memory of Hajj stampede victims

After the Friday 19th October National Mourning, an inter-religious service was organized on Tuesday 20th October 2015 to commemorate the death of the 76 Cameroonian Pilgrims who died in a stampede at Mecca. The service which was organized at the Multi-purpose sports complex in Yaounde brought together representatives from the Islamic, Catholic and protestant Faith. The head of State was represented by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization who moonlighted as president of the Hajj commission, Rene Emmanuel Sadi.

The Grand Imam of the Central Mosque at Briqueteri, Cheick Ibrahim Moussa used the opportunity to thank the Head of State President Paul Biya for designating Friday 19th October 2015 a day for National Mourning in honour of the departed. Imam Nji Ali Mefire prayed for peace and security in Cameroon and for more strength and bravery for the Cameroon armed force in the Far North Region.

For his part, Reverend Pastor Samuel Valérie Manaka Koum of the Eglise Evangelique du Cameroon called on the population to put their trust in God who alone knows why the unprecedented event occurred. The Metropolitan Archbishop of Yaounde His Eminence Jean Mbarga called on the population to be strong and be rest assured that the 76 who died in the holy land are now in the hands of God. To his Eminence, their departure was dignifying because they behaved like the heroes of faith who sacrificed themselves instead of others in order to gain paradise.