Cameroonian Singer Ulanda Denied Entry Over Dual Nationality Dispute

CameroonOnline.ORG | On the last day of July 2025, the Cameroonian singer Ulanda, known fondly as “Mama Makossa,” experienced a deeply painful return to the country of her birth. After stepping off her flight at Douala International Airport, she was stopped by immigration officials, who declared her documents non-compliant and placed her on the next flight to Kigali.

Although Ulanda is Cameroonian by birth, she also holds American citizenship. The problem arose when her Cameroonian visa expired and her attempt to renew it in Yaoundé failed because of a system breakdown. She was instructed to use the new online renewal platform, which she did, paying the required fees. But upon arrival, the renewal was not validated in the system. Even when she presented her receipt of payment, officials looked past it and focused instead on the fact that she was traveling with her American passport. Within hours, she was on board a RwandAir flight against her will.

For an artist who has carried her homeland in her music, the moment was heartbreaking.

Ulanda has never stopped celebrating Cameroon through her art, her entrepreneurial ventures, and her collaborations. She recently opened an African restaurant in Limbé, her hometown, and she continues to honor the legacy of Cameroonian music by working with artists such as Coco Argentée and by covering songs from legends like Anne-Marie Nzié. Just before the incident, she had released “Validé,” a single in collaboration with Coco Argentée, a gesture of cultural pride and continuity.

After spending two days in Kigali, she eventually secured a new visa, and her team confirmed that she would return to Cameroon. But the emotional wound of being turned away was not so easily healed. From South Africa, where she was temporarily staying, she shared her feelings in a heartfelt message on social media. In it, she described the deep frustration of being denied entry into the very land she calls home, questioning how one can truly feel Cameroonian when entry into the country is blocked by a technical error.

Her words carried more than personal pain. They carried a plea for change. Ulanda urged Cameroon to reconsider its rigid stance on dual nationality. She argued that the diaspora, far from being outsiders, are among the most devoted contributors to the country’s cultural and economic life. For her, and for many others, the lack of legal recognition for dual nationality creates unnecessary barriers to a genuine connection with home.

Ulanda’s story is a personal one, but it resonates widely with those who straddle more than one identity. It is a reminder that love for a homeland is not erased by distance or by foreign passports, and that nations must learn to embrace their children—wherever they may live and whatever citizenship papers they may carry.