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.