Brief but historic! This describes the communion the five Heads of State who arrived in Yaounde yesterday June 24 for the Heads of State and Government Summit on maritime security and safety in the Gulf of Guinea had with their compatriots resident in Cameroon.

Even before 8:30 am when the plane carrying Idriss Deby Itno, President of Chad, touched down at the Nsimalen International Airport, the Chadian community in Cameroon had taken up positions at the airport, brandishing praise banners. From the time the Chadian leader was received on arrival by Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, through his brief stay at the airport and departure, the population sang and danced, hailing the cordial bilateral ties existing between the two countries and wishing their leader well in the country.

The arrivals of Gabon's President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, at about 9:31 am, that of the Head of State of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, at 9:51 am, that of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, at 10:04 am as well as that of the transitional President of Guinea-Bissau, Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo, at about 1:54 pm, witnessed the same airport rituals - reception at the foot of the plane by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, brief airport stay and departure. Common among the five leaders was the cordiality with which they communed, though briefly, with their citizens in Cameroon. Hands waving accompanied with good smiles from the Heads of State and joyful singing and dancing from the population was common as the Heads of State boarded their limousines for the summit ground at the Yaounde Conference Centre.

Accompanied in the animation by local dance groups and CPDM party die hearts from Mefou and Afamba Division of the Centre Region and its environs, the citizens of the concerned countries boarded back the vehicles they had hired to convey them to and from the airport visibly satisfied for having the rare opportunity to commune with their leaders away from home.