In Méri, Shared Dialogue Rebuilds Peace

In Cameroon’s Far North, where insecurity has displaced thousands of families, reconciliation begins with dialogue. In Méri, thanks to a project supported by the European Union and implemented by UNICEF, IOM, and partners, conversation opens the path to lasting peace.

In a region where insecurity has displaced more than 453,000 people, including 385,000 children, peace begins with dialogue. In Méri, within a safe space supported by the project “Supporting the reintegration and reconciliation of former associates of non-state armed groups (NSAGs) to strengthen social cohesion for peace and sustainable development in Cameroon’s Far North”, funded by the European Union, women, men, and youth gather weekly with community leaders and former associates. In a context marked by poverty (74.3%), scarce resources, and fragile coexistence with more than 7,000 former associates, dialogue becomes a tangible tool for reconciliation.

Circles form every week. Women, men, young girls, young boys, community leaders, and former associates sit together. For many, this is an unprecedented gesture. “Just agreeing to meet together is already an impact,” says Abdou, SBC Project Manager at ALDEPA, a local implementing partner. In a region scarred by years of violence and mistrust, these dialogues create a rare space, one where everyone can speak, listen, and understand each other.

Words shared in the circle reveal deep wounds: language barriers, stigma, pressure on farmland, feelings of exclusion, the roots of social fracture emerge without filter. “They didn’t talk to each other. Everyone stayed in their corner,” Abdou recalls. Naming the problems becomes the first step toward reconciliation. Together, participants analyze causes, measure consequences on coexistence, and propose shared solutions.

Gradually, things change. Youth suggest joint sports and cultural activities. Others commit to learning each other’s language to break mistrust. Community actions, such as clean-up campaigns or intergenerational meetings, become opportunities to work side by side. “Today, we greet each other. We talk. We go out together to carry on our activities,” participants share. These simple gestures, once unthinkable, are the first signs of peace taking root.

The meetings are not isolated. Every week, targeted discussions are held with different groups: youth, women, men, adolescents. The goal is clear: maintain open communication, prevent tensions, and strengthen the sense of shared belonging. “Before, people saw each other as strangers. Today, they understand the importance of having the other by their side,” a community leader proudly testifies. Beyond words, community dialogue lays the foundation for other transformations: economic empowerment, protection, and prevention of re-recruitment. “Without peace, nothing can really work,” he reminds.

This dynamic is part of a broader approach to community stabilization and reintegration, led by UNICEF and IOM with local NGOs such as ALDEPA and ARDHU in several localities of the Far North (Mora, Mémé, Kolofata, Gance, Tolkomari, Hamchide, Koza, Mayo Moskota, Fotokol, Makary, Méri). The objective: strengthen community acceptance, prevent violence, and create an environment conducive to sustainable reintegration.

These dialogue spaces also play a key role in child protection in a region where 239 grave violations against 173 children were confirmed in 2023, a 53% increase compared to 2022. They help identify vulnerabilities, strengthen community protection mechanisms, and prepare communities to welcome children and youth affected by conflict, including nearly 4,000 former associates (1,340 of them children) returned through informal channels outside the official DDR process.

The reality on the ground underscores the scale of the challenge: about 3,000 people are still in rehabilitation at the Méri center, and returns continue. Here, peace does not take the form of a monument or a written agreement. It is seen in a shared greeting, a football match, a learned language, a word finally heard. And thanks to the commitment of the European Union and its partners, every dialogue circle becomes a promise: a promise of a future where host communities and former associates move forward together, united by respect, dignity, and the hope of lasting peace.