In the year of change, 1961, Where two paths converged beneath the sun October 1st, a day so bold, The Southern Cameroons' story told From Victoria's shores to Bamenda’s heights A people long denied their rights, We chose our fate, to forge a bond A choice chosen but not for long.
As the battles began not with swords or spears, But with voices drowned in colonial fears From Buea’s hills, where the chiefs once stood, To the streets of Kumba - Green City soaked in blood While , the streets of Ekona, the nights are long Bullets echo where voices belong The fight for freedom, the cry for peace, Echoed through years that would never cease The Battle for Hope, we stood so tall Fighting for Justice, for one and all.
Oh, babies cried out from deep within, A land of pain, where hope grew thin Look at Mamfe, look at Ndop, Where once children ran, now their feet have stopped. In Bamenda, we remember 2016, When the streets turned red, and justice turned mean As ghost towns rule like the break of dawn, The cries of markets that have long been gone From Ndu to Nso, and Batibo's lanes, The scars remain, like silent chains But we have conquered, time and time again, Though history paints our hopes with pain From the echoes of the Foumban halls, To today, where we break the walls.
We won no “Battle”, if not why the blade? With hearts so strong, no compromise Standing firm on our sacred land, Fighting ghosts only we could withstand. In Mbonge and Muyuka, we shed tears, But rise again to face our fears… October 1st, once full of light, Now flickers in the Anglophone night.
But amidst the struggle, the hatred, the tears, We glimpse a future beyond the years We’ve battled storms, faced fire and stone, Yet we stand, unshaken, but not alone. The youth have risen, their fists held high Defying the silence, refusing to die But placing a Bet on a life of another artist Most preferable the one with an instrument of peace… From 8050, we aim for more. To 2030, with hearts of steel, We forge a unity no pain can steal. Diverse we are, yet one we stand, Building peace across this land.
From Limbe’s Garden to Douala's shore, We carry hope and fight no more The north with the heat of Maroua’s air, Where they said we wouldn’t dare But we built, we thrived, in that red, dry land, Turning desert to fertile with a farmer’s hand Our culture rich, our stories proud, We sing of peace, we sing aloud From the battles fought, we learned to heal To build a nation with love that's real, October 1st, a tale of strife Now turns the page to a better life.
The Alou hills, the Mbo plains Let’s learn from every loss, every gain, In Kribi’s ports, we’ll raise our hands And shout for peace across these lands. Our culture’s rich, our roots run deep From Sawa songs to Fulani sheep, We’ve woven dreams from blood and clay And we’ll walk to 2030, come what may Together we rise, together we sing, Cameroon's future, a precious thing. No more battles, no more divide From 8050, we move with pride To 2030, our dreams take flight, To a place it can shine bright.
Emiliene Atabong