Cameroon’s complex history and colonial past have shaped its current socio-political landscape, leading to an ongoing crisis that has displaced hundreds of thousands. The land that would become present-day Cameroon quickly fell under complete European control in the 19th and 20th centuries. Once a German colony called Kamerun, the region was dramatically reshaped by the aftermath of World War I.
In 1961, a crucial UN plebiscite gave southern Cameroons the choice of reuniting with Cameroon or staying independent. As for the choices, most voted to return to France while Northern Cameroons voted to join Nigeria. Cameroon today has two large English-speaking regions in the west. The country has since changed to be mostly Francophone.
For years, Francophone citizens living in the Anglophone communities have complained about being treated like “citizens de seconde zone. Tensions escalated in 2016 when peaceful protests against the appointment of French-speaking judges and teachers in English-speaking areas turned violent. The protest movement led to the emergence of armed militias called the “Amba Boys.” They refused to be cowed by armed military might and proclaimed the birth of their own independent, democratic republic – Ambazonia.
The ongoing conflict has had devastating repercussions, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 civilians and displacing at least 712,000 individuals both within Cameroon and across its borders. International humanitarian workers add that more than half of the roughly four million people in the impacted areas need immediate help.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has stepped in to provide support, offering monthly stipends to affected households and facilitating skills training programs. Alpha Seydi Ba, the Dakar-based UNHCR representative, said he was alarmed by cuts of up to 90% in funding for such initiatives.
“We are deeply concerned by the growing gap between needs and resources, and the massive impact [funding cuts] will have on millions of people displaced by war and persecution,” – Alpha Seydi Ba.
The human impact of this conflict is heart shattering, with schools closed but still damaged and bridges bombed, cutting off routes between communities. Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn from their homes—haunting stories flooding in from those who lost it all. One displaced resident, Ekpang, lamented,
“No single person is in my village again.”
These shocking testimonies testify to the urgent need for global scrutiny and intervention. As the reality worsens by the day, heartbreaking and harrowing accounts of survival and suffering are trickling out. Solange Ndonga Tibesa, another victim of the violence, conveyed her despair:
“It’s better if you just kill me than rape me.”
Her words open a small window to the devastating reality that women around the world face in war-torn countries. She continued to write about how she still loved her country even amid all the chaos.
“But when I see pictures of people that have been killed, I just burst out into tears because I really love my country,” – Solange Ndonga Tibesa.
In response to the crisis, the Cameroonian government attempted a national dialogue in 2019 to address grievances from Anglophone communities. However, the dialogue was marred by a failure to include major separatist movements, thereby making the dialogue incapable of addressing important tensions underneath.
As the country prepares for national presidential elections in October 2024, Incumbent President Paul Biya, who has ruled the country since 1982, is seeking re-election to win an 8th term. The political climate is still tense and unpredictable, even as the crisis has gotten real with families suffering in the region.
The situation of Cameroon’s displaced population is one of the most underreported humanitarian crises in the world today. Aid agencies continue to fight against stretched resources while needs continue to grow, fighting the effects of a decade long war. How the international community acts now will determine whether hundreds of thousands can be spared from the misery of forced displacement.