Paper short abstract:

This contribution draws on the Cameroonian context to examine the complexity of military Françafrique. The diachronic approach of this work makes it possible to account for the tensions and collaborations that have gone through them.

Paper long abstract:

The Franco-African Defense and military-technical assistance agreements are the paradigmatic artefacts of Françafrique. These agreements made France the border guard of its former colonies and the protector of their territorial integrity. Indeed, in the process of decolonization, France had signed with her former colonies defence and technical military agreements that defined the conditions of intervention of the French army and provided for the granting of technical assistance (Evrard, 2014 and 2016). However, since the early 2000s, France has been in the process of renegotiating those defence agreements. Officially, the new contracts are part of a partnership approach and aim to support African collective security mechanisms.

This contribution draws on the Cameroonian context to examine the complexity of military Françafrique. The diachronic approach of this work makes it possible to account for the tensions and collaborations that have gone through them.

This paper is based on primary sources, including archival documents from the Cameroonian Ministry of Foreign Relations. Interviews were also conducted with former French defence attachés in Cameroon and senior ministry officials. Academic literature and reports of parliamentary debates in Cameroon and France were also considered.

Keywords: Françafrique, Cameroon, Defense, Army, France, Cooperation.