ABSTRACT

Technological advancements have decentralized public communication through interconnected digital networks. This study aims to conduct a critical analysis of the conflicting discourses and discussions on Facebook regarding the resolution of the Anglophone crisis and the future of the English-speaking regions in Cameroon. Since November 2016, the Anglophone population has engaged in civil disobedience against the Cameroonian government, citing their alleged slow or inadequate response to their grievances.

In response to ongoing civil disobedience in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, the government decided to disconnect the internet in these regions from January to April 2017. It was claimed that separatists in the diaspora were utilizing social media to disseminate their messages and manipulate the local population through false information.

This paper employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a methodological and theoretical approach, focusing on nationalism as an ideology. It examines the polarized conversations and discourses by Anglophone activists on Facebook regarding the socio-political crisis that has plagued Cameroon since the end of 2016. The study reveals two opposing views defended by Anglophones on this social media platform: the separatist position and the pro-unionist position. The separatist activists, through their Facebook posts, reject the pan-Cameroonian identity, associating it with Francophonisation and cultural assimilation, while promoting a separate Anglophone nationalism. On the other hand, the pro-unity Anglophone activists advocate for national unity and reject the secessionist discourse, thereby reaffirming their commitment to the Pan-Cameroonian identity. This study goes beyond linguistic analysis and incorporates a systematic exploration of the historical, political, sociological, and psychological dimensions in the interpretation of specific texts and discourse.

Keywords: Critical discourse analysis, Facebook, nationalism, La République du Cameroon, Southern Cameroons, one united Cameroon, Ambazonia (Amazonians)

CHAPTER ONE

1. Introduction

For over a year now (since November 2016), the Republic of Cameroon has been grappling with a crisis sparked by socio-political dissatisfaction. The ongoing insurgency began with street protests by Anglophone lawyers and teachers’ unions and gradually escalated into secessionist propaganda, civil disobedience, school boycotts, arson, and more. The situation in Cameroon is not an isolated occurrence, as separatist movements and nationalist sentiments are resurfacing worldwide. Even within the European Union, there are over 40 separatist parties, including notable movements in Scotland (United Kingdom), Catalonia and the Basque Country (Spain), and Flanders (Belgium). Beyond Europe, secessionist tendencies have also affected neighboring countries like Nigeria, with the Biafra secessionist movement, as well as Eritrea’s separation from Ethiopia and South Sudan’s secession from Sudan. The tensions between the Kurds and the respective countries they inhabit, such as Turkey and Syria, have also demonstrated the instability of the established world order.

Initially, during the early stages of the ongoing crisis, almost the entire Anglophone population acknowledged the existence of an Anglophone problem in Cameroon. Negotiations between the Cameroonian government and trade unions, as well as the civil society consortium, took place following school and court boycotts by Anglophone teachers and lawyers. The government made numerous concessions to address the concerns raised. However, the negotiations reached a stalemate, leading to escalated civil disobedience in the two regions when some consortium leaders were arrested and imprisoned. Other leaders who managed to leave the country joined Anglophone communities abroad, leading to an increased advocacy for secession and the independence of the Anglophone regions.

Since the outbreak of open conflict in November 2016, two distinct camps have emerged: the Cameroon government and the Anglophone people. The views of some Anglophones regarding the future of the English-speaking regions have become radicalized, moving from calls