Tokna Massana Festival: Chad and Cameroon celebrate the Massa people together

From 7 to 11 April 2026, the town of Bongor, in the Mayo-Kebbi Est province, hosted the 10th edition of the "Tokna Massana" International Festival of Massa Arts and Culture. This biennial gathering brings together the Massa communities of Chad, Cameroon and their diaspora around a shared cultural identity that spans both sides of the border. The 2026 edition was marked by the presence of Chadian Prime Minister Allah-Maye Halina and Cameroonian Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education Mounouna Foutsou, alongside traditional authorities and delegations from both countries. The festivities notably highlighted the Guruna, a traditional Massa practice recently inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, through dance, performances and collective rhythms. The Embassy of the Republic of Chad in Cameroon welcomes this event, which illustrates the depth of the human and cultural ties uniting the populations of both countries beyond their common border, and which contributes to passing on this shared heritage to younger generations.