297-322.Hide Footnote Some Francophones make fun of Anglophones and support government repression. [fn]Contrary to widespread belief, the Anglophone movement is not limited to the Northwest. The Southwest is considered to be the economic motor of the zone, because of its timber industry, the CDC and oil production-related industries. [fn]Ventilation de lconomie camerounaise, INS, 2016. That includes the creation of an autonomous Anglophone Bar, the appointment of magistrates in the Anglophone zone by a federal parliament and the adoption of English as the only language in Common Law jurisdictions. Thomas Deltombe, Manuel Domergue and Jacob Tatsitsa, Independences and Reunification: Different Dreams in the Same Bed. Except for the U.S., Cameroons Western partners, such as France, the UK, Germany, Canada and the EU have not made any public statement, saying they are exercising discreet diplomatic pressure on Yaound. The Francophone government has a complex and tough procedure that organizations must go through in order to receive approval. Konings, Nyamnjoh. Crisis Group interviews, president of the national union of higher education teachers (. This crisis has led to the re-emergence of the Anglophone question and highlighted the limits of the Cameroonian governance model, based on centralisation and co-optation of elites. The 2009 judgement by the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights anticipates the current conflict. Several people were severely beaten, dozens of others were arrested and at least two people were shot dead, according to a report by the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms the (Commission nationale des droits de lHomme et des liberts, CNDHL). The government and senior administration should be re-organised to better reflect the demographic, political and historical importance of the Anglophones, and to include younger and more legitimate members of the Anglophones community. That provoked discontent among Anglophones, because West Cameroon could not at the same time be a federated state according to the constitution and an administrative region by decree. However, realising there were limits to what it could achieve with repression, it began talks with the striking unions. Several Francophone police officers have said that Anglophone police officers support the Anglophone cause. Finally, they claim that it was not possible to hold a free and transparent referendum in the context of the time and that the ballot was marred by serious irregularities. In contrast, the Francophone territory was directly administered by France following the assimilationist model, although colonisers and the traditional elites also practised a form of indirect government, especially in the north of the country. They are taking advantage of the situation to radicalise the population with support from part of the Anglophone diaspora. The first and main ideologues of the Anglophone movement come from the Southwest and it was there that the first All Anglophone Conference was held.Hide Footnote However, when, at the end of January, the traditional chiefs of the Northwest wrote to the president of the republic to ask him to release prisoners as a goodwill gesture, the traditional chiefs of the Southwest responded by sending a motion of support to the government and calling on the youth of the Southwest to break with the disorder caused by northerners. (PDF) The Socio-economic Consequences of the Anglophone Crisis in Crisis Group interview, Yaound, March 2017. Francophones are generally unaware of the reasons for the Anglophone problem and view Anglophones who are calling for federalism or secession with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion and even make fun of them. It also leads people to believe it can monitor WhatsApp communications.Hide Footnote In particular, the government has exploited the idea of false news to sow doubt and avoid responsibility for human rights violations by casting doubt on their veracity, even in confirmed cases. The minister and the National Communications Council (CNC) kept up the pressure thereafter. This has formed the basis of relationships in modern day Cameroon. Crisis Group has had access to this unpublished report, sent to the presidency of the Republic on 30 November 2016. Anyone not adhering to the movement faces harassment and threats. In 2017, there was a six-month delay before government representatives began to transfer funds. [fn]Martin Zachary Njeuma, Reunification and Political Opportunity in the Making of Cameroons Independence, Paideuma, no. Demonstrators set fire to a police station, government buildings and vehicles. key challenges. During the period of the mandate and the trusteeship, each colonial power shaped their territories in their own image. Despite gross inequalities, and centuries of being ignored, the anglophone peoples of Cameroon continue to resist and strive for a long overdue freedom. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, youth, Yaound, Maroua, Douala, December 2016-May 2017. BACKGROUND However, in the Anglophone part, until 1968, this appointment only validated the prior election of the prime minister by the parliament of West Cameroon. Causes of the Anglophone Conflict in Cameroon | Oxford Law Blogs Crisis Group interviews, Bamenda University teachers, Bamenda, April 2017. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, Western diplomats, Yaound, February-May 2017.Hide Footnote, This relatively timid reaction can be partly explained by diplomats hesitation to intervene in a crisis whose consequences are limited to the country in question, without repercussions in the sub-region, and which remains less acute than other crises in Africa. With the prospect of a review of the constitution to adapt it to the multiparty system, the Anglophones organised the All Anglophone Conference (AAC) in 1993 and called for a return to federalism. Cameroun: SOS SDF. Crisis Group interviews, members of the Commission for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, Yaound and Buea, March 2017; confidential letter from Foncha to Ahidjo, 14 September 1963, seen by Crisis Group.Hide Footnote, The federated states did not have financial autonomy and depended on grants from the federal state. Above and beyond the electoral question, the sporadic violence of the last few months and the use of social networks have shown that some secessionists are ready for the armed struggle. Hopefully other key actors will follow suit. They have not always been able to present a common front to defend an increasingly heterogeneous Anglophone cause. Finally, it should apply the measures it has announced or that were decided with the Consortium and take additional measures to strengthen the semi-autonomous character of Anglophone educational and legal systems. [fn]Crise anglophone: la libration des prisonniers divise, Mutations, 17 February 2017; At South West elite forum in Buea: speakers launch xenophobic attacks on North Westerners, The Guardian Post, 3 February 2017.Hide Footnote However, the public has not shown itself to be very divided. The date of 20 May became Cameroons main national day of celebration. [fn]The blocking minority means that laws applying to the two federations can only be adopted by the federal assembly if a majority of deputies in both federated states vote for them. It has even served as a pretext for greater repression, with the use of anti-terrorist legislation for political ends, greater control over social media and threats against journalists. When it was restored they reverted to mainly using WhatsApp. Crisis Group interview, senior official at the presidency, Yaound, December 2016. A timeline of Cameroon's history is available in the PDF version. In July 2017, an Ambazonia Governing Council made its appearance online and Sisiku Ayuk Tabe was elected prime minister in an online vote. Anglophone Cameroon: From crisis to chaos - DW - 10/01/2021 [fn]Anthony Ndi, Southern West Cameroon Revisited 1950-1972 (Buea, 2014).Hide Footnote, Representatives of Southern Cameroons and the president of the Republic of Cameroon, Amadou Ahidjo, met at Foumban in the west of Francophone territory from 17 until 21 July 1961 to negotiate the terms of reunification. Germany pays the largest sum of development funding in the world to Cameroon 100 million between 2017-2019 alone. This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2023.. [fn]They brandished placards with slogans against violence and the politicisation of their problems. After the golden age of the 1990s, dissent weakened and the focus switched to the Anglophone diasporas advocacy in the international community and the creation of an Anglophone consciousness through the education system, writings of Anglophone intellectuals, the churches, associations and the local media. The emergence of bushfalling: Placing local migration methods in a historical and global perspective, The Gruesome Death Toll Characterised by War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Genocide: A Legal Appraisal of the Crisis in the former Southern Cameroons, THE IMPACT OF ALIEN CULTURES ON LIVING HERITAGE IN ANGLOPHONE CAMEROON: AN EXPOSITORY OF THE BALI NYONGA KINGDOM, SWELA, Ethnicity, and Democracy in Cameroons Patrimonial State: An Anthropological Critique, International Journal of Media, Journalism and Mass Communications (IJMJMC) Page| 21 Media Violence Reports on the Cameroon Anglophone Crisis: Implication on Buea Denizens, Implications of the Bakassi conflict resolution for Cameroon, International African Institute Through the Prism of a Local Tragedy: Political Liberalisation, Regionalism and Elite Struggles for Power in Cameroon Author(s): Dickson Eyoh, NIGERIA-CAMEROON BORDER RELATIONS: A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BAKASSI PENINSULA REGION, BASES AND PROSPECTS OF THE QUEST FOR SELF-DETERMINATION BY THE ANGLOPHONE MINORITY IN CAMEROON. The root of this problem may be traced back to i96i when the political elites of two territories with different colonial legacies-one French and the other British-agreed on the formation of a federal state. 41 (1995), pp. It was initially formed by four lawyers associations and several teachers trade unions, with Flix Khongo Agbor Balla as president, Fontem Neba as secretary general and Wilfred Tassang as treasurer. The Anglophone Crisis is an ongoing armed conflict in the Republic of Cameroon in Central Africa, where historically English-speaking Ambazonian separatists are seeking the independence of the former British trust territory of Southern Cameroons, which was unified with Cameroon since 1961. [fn]In 2017, there was a six-month delay before government representatives began to transfer funds. Crisis Group interviews, magistrate, Anglophone and Francophone lawyers, Douala, Buea and Bamenda, March-May 2017; and email correspondence, president of the Northwest Lawyer's Association (NOWELA), 29 May 2017. Who are the protagonists? Several European countries planned to publish statements but, in the end, remained silent, clearly for fear of finding themselves isolated. But at least weve now got the message and we know what we need to do in the future. On the SDFs position, Crisis Group interviews, SDF militants, population, academics and European diplomats, Yaound, Douala, Buea and Bamenda, March-May 2017.Hide Footnote To better reflect opinion in its electoral base, the SDF strengthened its commitment to a four-state federation in 2017, while also taking symbolic steps such as not attending the 20 May march in solidarity with Anglophone detainees. Most scholarly write-ups have rather focused on the causes, course, consequences and international interventions in the crisis, with little attention to the geopolitical undertones. Anglophones continued to take action. They had a decisive impact on public opinion and opened the Pandoras box of the Anglophone problem. A firmer response from the international community could help to avoid the conflict from deteriorating and threatening the stability of this pivotal Central African country. The Impact of The Anglophone Crisis on The Economic Development of Cameroon Cameroun: SOS SDF, Jeune Afrique, 26 February 2017.Hide Footnote Whatever happens to the SDF, the CPDM and the Francophone parties are henceforth in a weak position in the Anglophone regions. Cameroons Anglophone Crisis at the Crossroads. Even in the governing party, the CPDM, Anglophone deputies have expressed their concerns to the government. Cookie Settings. This paper sets out to examine factors militating against the survival of bilingualism in Cameroon and factors supporting its continued existence. Introduction The Anglophone Crisis emerged on the background of the Anglophone Problem. On 28 November 2016, the U.S. State Department published a communiqu calling for dialogue in the Anglophone regions and calling on the government of Cameroon to respect fundamental freedoms. Their frustrations surfaced dramatically at the end of 2016 when a series of sectoral grievances morphed into political demands, leading to strikes and riots. Most of Cameroons oil, which accounts for one twelfth of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP), is located off the coast of the Anglophone region. Ahidjo took advantage and manipulated the rivalries among the elites and the ethnic and cultural divisions between Grassfields in the north, which had cultural and linguistic links with the Bamilks of the west Francophone region, and the Sawa in the south, who had cultural and linguistic links with the Francophone coast. For example, the Anglophone movement claimed the UN was on the point of conceding independence to Southern Cameroons, and that the Southern Cameroons Defence Forces were in the process of liberating the region. Since October 2016, protests around sectoral demands have degenerated into a political crisis in Cameroons Anglophone regions. World Report 2022: Cameroon | Human Rights Watch These countries and organisations should encourage the Cameroonian government to take measures to calm the situation, engage in a genuine dialogue and reform the governance model, including the implementation of decentralisation. Their frustrations surfaced dramatically at the end of 2016 when a series of sectoral grievances morphed into political demands, leading to strikes and riots. [fn]Crisis Group observations at several ministries, Yaound, March-May 2017.Hide Footnote The crisis has highlighted the economic resilience of the Anglophones, which is essentially based on the solidarity of Anglophones living in the Francophone zone and abroad. 207-229.Hide Footnote but Ahidjo imposed a ready-made constitution that gave broad powers to the executive of the federal state to the detriment of the two federated states (West Cameroon and East Cameroon). . The collapse of bilingualism might trigger further political instability in the country as it may be used as leverage for secession, especially with the Anglophone minority which has for long lamented their marginalization. Decades after independence, Cameroon, once divided between the British and the French during the colonial period, continues to experience sustained conflicts between its Francophone and Anglophone citizens. This policy brief provides an overview of the risks of mass atrocities in Cameroon's Anglophone regions and provides recommendations to the Cameroonian government, armed separatist groups, and international actors to prevent atrocities and protect civilians. Only the Anglophone government elite distances itself from the movement, yet it stands accused of hypocrisy and double standards by Francophone ministers. The commissions president and members who are close to the ruling party and hold several posts should be replaced by a younger team with greater legitimacy and composed of an equal number of Francophones and Anglophones, including Consortium members, as well as broadening its remit to include powers to impose sanctions on ministerial departments and government bodies that do not respect bilingualism and that discriminate against Anglophones. [fn]Cameroun: Paul Biya confront la triple pression de lONU, des Etats-Unis et du Vatican, Jeune Afrique, 13 April 2017.Hide Footnote These statements helped to secure an end to internet shutdown in March, but did not result in any moves toward the structural and constitutional reforms requested by Anglophones. One of the most virulent criticisms of the Francophones is against the tribal attitude of Anglophones in the Northwest and Southwest. The federal president appointed the prime ministers of the federated states. International involvement and economic dependency on the peoples of Cameroon is long running. Both Southern Cameroons and the Republic of Cameroon were UN Trust territories. In terms of methodology, the paper makes use of qualitative data analysis. A minority of civilians picked up arms and joined the violent struggle. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, Francophone officials, teachers and taxi drivers, Buea, March-May 2017. A two-state federation, as before unification, or a four or six-state federation to better reflect the sociological composition of the country and make the idea of federalism acceptable to Francophones, or ten states to copy the current pattern of Cameroons ten regions? When Paul Biya succeeded Ahidjo in November 1982, he further centralised power. Crisis Group interviews, Anglophone and Francophone academics, Yaound and Buea, December 2016, March 2017.Hide Footnote. There are also differences about whether to use violence, which are intensified by rivalries and the struggle for power. Cameroon, facing Boko Haram in the Far North and militia from the Central African Republic in the East, needs to avoid another potentially destabilising front opening up. This article however upholds that the No-So is still part of Cameroon's territorial space, considering the fact that Ambazonia is not internationally recognized as a sovereign state. Others said that Anglophone movement radicals tried to introduce the issue of secession into the debate, with the result that both sides hardened their positions. More violent messages also circulate in WhatsApp groups to which Crisis Group has had access.Hide Footnote, Christian denominations supervise most schools and universities in the Anglophone regions. He has since remained behind bars. For context, professional jobs are hard to access in Cameroon, and many suggest that they are denied opportunities because of their anglophone background. These groups also call on citizens not to pay tax and encourage attacks on Francophones. Frances involvement in Cameroon has continued since independence and is by far the most significant. Tendances, profils et dterminants de la pauvret au Cameroun entre 2001 et 2014, INS (Yaound, 2015).Hide Footnote, No serious economic study has been published on the economic impact of the crisis, but there is no doubt that the isolation for several months of these two regions, which contribute around 20 per cent of Cameroons GDP, has had an impact on them as well as on the national economy. They call on the public to burn down their properties. These were formal demarches, although deliberately discreet. The ramification of Cameroon's Anglophone crisis - SpringerOpen Crisis Group has seen these messages. They appeared before a military court under the terrorism law. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, senior police officers, Buea, March-May 2017; WhatsApp discussions, secessionist militants, March-July 2017; and SCDF, Southern Cameroons Defense Forces updates, YouTube, 28 March 2017; and Resistance Speech by the FAGC Leader Ayaba Cho Lucas, YouTube, 22 June 2016.Hide Footnote, Partisans of armed violence have not yet put their ideas into practice because they do not have either the resources or enough support from abroad. As the crisis in the . Crisis Group interviews, presidents of Francophone NGOs and political parties, Yaound and Douala, 2016-2017. However, providing aid to the region is extremely difficult. The Sawa are originally from Francophone and Anglophone coastal regions, including the Francophone city of Douala and the Anglophone towns of the Southwest, such as Limb and Buea. The Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon: A Geopolitical Analysis. Officials from the European Commission nevertheless met members of the government in Yaound in April.
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