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Melody as remedy: How music festival is easing conflict pains in Cameroon

A dance group performs traditional dance on stage during the Cameroon International Music Festival in Buea, Cameroon, on Nov. 20, 2025.  (Muleng Timngum/Xinhua)

At the foot of Mount Cameroon, where gunfire and flames sometimes drown out daily life, lilting songs filled the air, above instrumental melodies and backing singers' quiet harmonies at the Cameroon International Music Festival (CIMFEST).

More than 30,000 people attended the festival that ended on Sunday in Buea, a town about 300 km west of Yaounde, the capital.

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