Cameroon Commemorates Slave Trade Remembrance Day, Experts Urge Preservation of Bimbia Site

Picture Remembering the Slave Trade Era.

Cameroon’s coastal city of Limbe became the centre of global reflection on August 22 to 23, 2025, as scholars, cultural promoters, and government officials gathered for the country’s first-ever international symposium on the Transatlantic Slave Trade. 

The commemoration, held under the patronage of the Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr. Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt, placed the historic Bimbia Slave Trade Site at the heart of discussions on memory, healing, and cultural tourism.

Picture Remembering the Slave Trade Era.

The event, hosted by Gilgal Tours at the Gilgal Towers Hotel, opened with a moving reenactment of a slave caravan through Limbe’s Mile One. The theatrical march symbolized the journeys enslaved Africans were forced to endure before deportation. It drew hundreds of residents, setting the tone for two days of reflection and scholarship.

“Never Again” — A Call to Memory and Healing

Ivan Ojong Etta, Arts and Culture Minister's Representative Addressing Stakeholders.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Arts and Culture, Deputy Director of the National Museum, Ivan Ojong Etta, described the slave trade as “the greatest human tragedy,” underscoring its centuries-long impact. He stressed that memory cannot be buried in “the garment of oblivion,” and called for collective efforts to transform remembrance into a foundation for justice and tolerance.

     Paul Efome Ngale, Limbe City Mayor.

Limbe City Mayor, Paul Efome Ngale, echoed the same message. “We gather not to reopen wounds for the sake of pain, but to sanctify memory into meaning and turn grief into guidance,” he said, urging participants to commit to remembrance that inspires responsibility.

Bimbia as Cultural Heritage

Experts at the symposium emphasized the urgent need to preserve and develop the Bimbia Slave Trade Site, which once served as a major point of slave deportation from Central Africa. UNESCO has already recognized its global significance, with steps underway to enlist it as a World Heritage Site.

However, concerns were raised about neglect and threats from environmental factors. 

Historian Prof. E.S.D. Fomin warned that structures at the site risked collapse due to acid rain, tree growth, and poor maintenance. He called for immediate rehabilitation to save the site from irreversible damage.

In response, Rev. Dr. Ekoka Molindo of Mondoli village, a community within Bimbia, pledged to mobilize local chiefs and residents to work with cultural promoters and the government to protect the site’s legacy.

Diaspora Connections and Global Dialogue

The two-day programme featured academic papers, exhibitions, theatrical performances, and a Diaspora Dialogue Forum that brought in voices from the African diaspora in the United States and the Caribbean. 

       Cross Section of Stakeholders.

Participants discussed the transatlantic routes, the actors involved, and the long-lasting socio-economic impacts of slavery.

The gathering culminated in the Global Awards ceremony, where cultural leaders, including the Minister of Arts and Culture, were honoured for promoting heritage preservation and global awareness.

Looking Forward

The Limbe commemoration was more than remembrance; it was a pledge to protect heritage, strengthen identity, and promote healing. Participants left with a unified message: the horrors of slavery must never be repeated, and the memory of Bimbia must be preserved for posterity.

As Cameroon positions itself on the global cultural map, the Bimbia site stands as both a painful reminder of the past and a beacon of resilience for the future.

      Eric Igwacho, CEO of Gilgal Tours.

The Commemoration of the day in Cameroon was organized by the CEO of Gilgal Tours, Eric Igwacho, in partnership with the Ministry of Arts and Culture.

The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was established by UNESCO in 1998 as a global day of reflection on the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and the abolition struggles that followed. The date August 23 was chosen in memory of the 1791 uprising in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), where enslaved Africans revolted against the French colonial system, a turning point that contributed to the broader abolition movement.