AFCON 2021: 100 refugees watched opening match between Cameroon and Burkina Faso
11th January 2022
The TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 kicked off last Sunday with the match between Cameroon and Burkina Faso in the magnificent lair of Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé.
Among the guests at this prestigious event, a hundred refugees from the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Rwanda. They took their places in the stands, vibrating to the rhythm of the spectacle offered by the teams on the lawn.
The moment of communion was captured by the UNHCR officers also present for the opening ceremony and the scheduled matches.
The day before, some of the refugees played a football match.
The initiative of UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, is supported by CAF which makes a point of bringing joy and hope to communities and vulnerable people.
UNHCR's primary mission is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee. The agency works alongside its partners and communities to ensure that everyone has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country. UNHCR also strive to secure lasting solutions.
(c) Photos : Xavier Bourgeois/UNHCR