YAOUNDE, May 20 -- Cameroon marked on Friday the 50th anniversary of its National Day with a military and civilian parade for the first time since the first case of coronavirus was detected in the Central African nation in March 2020.

In the capital, Yaounde, the country's leader Paul Biya presided over the event that saw hundreds of soldiers and civilians marched past in front of national and international dignitaries.

A contingent of Para-commandos from the neighbouring Republic of the Congo also took part in the march-past during the event.

March-pasts took place in all the 10 regions of the country including war-torn Anglophone regions where separatist fighters had imposed a lockdown to disrupt the celebrations.

May 20 is one of the most important days on the Cameroonian calendar, marking the day in 1972 when a national referendum created a unitary state, removing the federal state that had officially ruled Cameroon since it was unified in 1961.

  - Xinhua