THE UPC: CAMEROON'S TRAGIC INDEPENDENCE HEROES

The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) fought and died for both the independence and unity of Cameroon, as well as that of Africa, but they paid a terrible price as a result.

While the Cameroonian War of Independence is often referred to as the ‘Forgotten War' due to the fact that it was overshadowed by the more successful Algerian Revolution at the time, the history of this struggle continues to shape Cameroon in the present.

It was the elimination of the UPC leaders that allowed France to install Ahmadou Ahidjo and later Paul Biya, who have ruled over the country since independence.

The UPC worked hard to build relationships with other Pan-African organisations and leaders, from Kwame Nkrumah to Patrice Lumumba and Ahmed Ben Bella. And while we may have lost that round, the struggle is not over. The UPC's objective of a unified and liberated Africa lives on.