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- Convenors:
-
Ben Page
(University College London)
Manu Lekunze (University of Aberdeen)
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- Chairs:
-
Ben Page
(University College London)
Manu Lekunze (University of Aberdeen)
- Format:
- Panel
- Streams:
- Politics and International Relations (x) Violence and Conflict Resolution (y)
- Location:
- Neues Seminargebäude, Seminarraum 14
- Sessions:
- Friday 2 June, -
Time zone: Europe/Berlin
Short Abstract:
What is Cameroon’s current security situation and how is it likely to evolve in the future? Cameroon faces internal insurgencies, conflicts in neighbouring states, and (given the age of the president) a power transition. This interdisciplinary panel will address this political situation.
Long Abstract:
What is Cameroon’s current security situation and how is it likely to evolve? What security role is played by the Cameroonian diaspora? Cameroon faces security challenges both internally and within the Central African region. Wars in Chad and CAR generate refugees and criminality on Cameroon’s eastern border. The Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency has significantly affected Cameroon’s Far North since 2013. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. Moving south in Nigerian there is insecurity relating to farmer/pastoralist disputes, potential secessionist conflicts and maritime piracy. Internally, there is an insurgency in the Northwest and Southwest Regions (2016 onwards), building on grievances among the English-speaking minority in Cameroon. By 2022, this Anglophone separatist conflict has cost thousands of lives and displaced tens of thousands of people. Both government forces and rebels have committed human rights abuses and, perhaps, war crimes. The military response from the state has provided some fragile stability in a few urban centres but it has not resolved the fundamental issues. Instead, a ‘war economy’ has become established by those profiting from the violence. Paul Biya (the incumbent president of Cameroon) is 89 and has been in power since 1982. While there is a long history of false predictions of his death, it is ultimately inevitable. The likely change at the top of the government and the lack of an obvious clear successor adds to the tense security climate at the current time. The panel will address this political situation from diverse disciplinary perspectives.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Friday 2 June, 2023, -Gordon Crawford (Coventry University) Nancy Annan (Coventry University)
Paper short abstract:
Influenced by the 'local turn' in peacebuilding, with evidence from research that highlights the voices of those most affected by the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon, this paper investigates the views from below on how to achieve resolution of this intractable war now in its sixth year.
Paper long abstract:
The Anglophone crisis in bilingual Cameroon morphed in 2016/2017 from peaceful protests and civil disobedience by civil society organisations into an armed conflict between state security forces and separatist groups fighting for an independent Republic of Ambazonia. Now in its sixth year, this hidden and neglected war has killed thousands and forcibly displaced over a million people, with little current prospects for its resolution. This paper traces the historical roots and contemporary triggers of the current conflict, then focuses on the impact of the conflict on the English-speaking population and their perspectives on its resolution. The paper is theoretically informed by the local turn in peacebuilding which places emphasis on the significance of local actors and the non-governmental sector. It uses data from research that highlights the voices of those most affected by the conflict. The urgent need for ‘inclusive dialogue’ was the most common call among research participants, including not only the warring parties, but also diaspora elements that support the secessionist struggle, and, significantly, representatives of affected communities on the ground. The crucial involvement of women was emphasised, given the key role that women’s organisations play in advocating for peace. Nonetheless, participants were very aware of the intransigent position of the government and that international pressure, currently absent, is crucial to supplement the calls for peace negotiations from below. Participants also noted that peace with justice for Anglophone citizens requires longstanding grievances to be tackled and political reforms included in negotiations to ensure that root causes are addressed.
Jacqui Cho (swisspeace University of Basel)
Paper short abstract:
As opposed to placing it at the centre of analysis, the paper seeks to provincialise international peacemaking efforts in Cameroon by situating them within key political questions that have long shaped the country's politics and unpacks the multifaceted meanings of mediation within this context.
Paper long abstract:
Borrowing Chakrabarty’s expression “Provincializing Europe”, the paper seeks to provincialise peacemaking by taking seriously the environment that a mediation initiative is necessarily thrust into at a certain moment in conflict, as opposed to placing it at the centre of analysis. Through a case study of peacemaking efforts around the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon, the paper takes as its starting point the recognition that peace mediation is invariably one of many political endeavours and tugs-of-war in the context concerned. Adopting this bird’s eye perspective, it locates the Swiss-led facilitation from 2019 to 2022 within key political questions that predate the mediation initiative and have long shaped Cameroonian politics. Drawing on over sixty semi-structured interviews, including those with Cameroonian ruling party members, opposition politicians, prominent individuals involved in the armed separatist movements, civil society activists and members of the Swiss facilitation team, as well as participant-observation in internationally-funded workshops on mediation and dialogue in Cameroon, the paper asks what the Swiss facilitation attempt meant for different actors in the political arena – and what this in turn meant for the Swiss facilitation. It pays particular attention to its interactions with the question of President Biya’s succession and the related power plays at the upper echelons of government, competing processes pursued under the banner of “peace”, and the ruling power’s desire to secure a degree of legitimacy through elections.
Assembe Ndi Alvine Henriette (Université de Genève)
Paper short abstract:
L’enregistrement des actes de naissance en situation d'urgence est le problème posé dans cette proposition qui s’intéresse à leur processus d’établissement dans certaines communes de l'Extrême-Nord du Cameroun. Ainsi, l'état civil peut contribuer à la résilience de ces localités.
Paper long abstract:
L’enregistrement des faits d’état civil en contexte de fragilité est le problème posé dans cette communication qui s’intéresse aux processus d’établissement des actes de naissance dans certains départements de la Région de l'Extrême-Nord du Cameroun qui font face à la menace terroriste Boko Haram. Elle questionne la politique publique ainsi que les stratégies locales mises sur pied tant par les pouvoirs publics ainsi que par les populations locales pour continuer à établir des actes de naissances des enfants malgré la crise sécuritaire. Dans ce contexte, l'état civil devient un levier essentiel de planification et de reconstruction qui permet d’apporter le développement nécessaire à la maitrise durable du conflit et de l'insécurité dans ce pays. La mise à niveau des services publics en général et celui de l’état civil en particulier contribue à la fabrique de la résilience dans ces départements dont les populations, tombées dans la "trappe à fragilité" sont vulnérables. Cette contribution met en exergue les obstacles à l'établissement des actes de naissances en situation d'urgence ainsi que les mécanismes de résilience qui ont été apportés afin de garantir un avenir possible à ces populations. Sa finalité est de questionner et de penser une politique efficace et résiliente de l’état civil.
Mots-clés : politique publique –acte de naissance- crise sécuritaire - Cameroun - Boko-Haram
Kim Schumann (University of Cologne)
Paper short abstract:
This presentation describes the perspectives of Anglophone Cameroonians on illegal phone searches by state forces and the coping strategies they have developed. It argues that Cameroon’s approach to counterterrorism has contributed to the construction of Anglophones as a suspect community.
Paper long abstract:
The Cameroonian state has a track record of heavy-handed attempts at controlling online communication under the guise of protecting national security. The Anglophone Crisis is no exception. Alongside internet shutdowns, bandwidth-throttling, and alleged hired users sharing pro-government content on social media, many Anglophone Cameroonians have experienced arbitrary searches of their smartphones by state forces. The fact that these searches are illegal has not stopped them from being conducted or from leading to arrests on accusations of terrorism.
This presentation describes the perspectives of Anglophones on illegal phone searches and the coping strategy they have developed to be prepared for them. Based on ethnographic fieldwork I conducted in Cameroon during 2022 and 2023, I argue that my interlocutors consider themselves under generalised suspicion and believe that anything they send or receive online can be used against them. To reduce the risk of terrorism accusations, they engage in hypervigilant social media practices, including not posting publicly, avoiding chat groups and deleting conflict-related WhatsApp messages – even though these include useful evidence of atrocities and sentimental memories. I suggest that Cameroon’s invasive approach to counterterrorism, which tolerates breaking criminal procedure, has contributed to the construction of Anglophones as a suspect community; a circumstance that can be expected to only increase their frustration with and alienation from the Cameroonian state.
The presentation is a condensed version of an upcoming book chapter.