ABSTRACT

The Anglophone crisis which is the backbone reason behind the displacement of people in the south west and north west region of Cameroon. The Anglophone crisis was started by common Law lawyers and teachers of North West and South West region of Cameroon In 2016. It later escalated into an armed conflict that has precipitated a large influx of Cameroonian refugees into neighboring countries and cities and many internally displaced persons all over the country. The crisis have recorded a huge effects on the agricultural sectors, business activities and administrative sectors which has led to a general hardship on the people.

The research problems were addressed by distributing a Quantitative structured questionnaires in the towns of Buea and Kumba of the South West region of Cameroon.. the findings of the study seek to know how the crisis affected the people and towns of southwest, appraise the efforts of the government in helping IDPs in the Southwest region of Cameroon, and to investigate if the government have done or are doing enough in helping IDPs in the Southwest region . By analysing the research questions and findings, it can be noted that, the government are doing their best to help the crisis affected people.

The First Research question which was to know the effects of the crisis on Anglophone people in the south west region . Findings showed that the Anglophone crisis greatly affected the South West people. The effects were mostly negative effects though some claimed positivity in the crisis like national integration..

The second Research question sought to investigate the effects of the crisis on the south west region. It was realize that, the crisis has had a lot of impacts on both the town and its inhabitants because what affects the people, affects the town.

The next question was to appraise the Government efforts in helping IDPs in the Southwest region of Cameroon. At the end of the research, compilation and analysis, the findings showed that the government have done much to help IDPs and is doing much to remedy the IDPs problems and crisis though some respondents still advice the good to double their efforts and recommended the government to place a strict supervisor on officials handling IDPs aminities provisions in order to prevent the officials from embarrassing the funds. Findings also shows that, though the government have released funds for the reconstruction of damaged infrastructures, the project are yet to commence.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, objectives and hypotheses, significance of the study and scope and limitation of the study , definition of terms and organization of the study.

1.1 Background to the Study

The background to the study focuses on the Anglophone crisis.

The Anglophone area consists of two of the country’s ten regions, the northwest and the southwest. It covers 16,364sqkm of the country’s total area of 475,442sqkm and has about 5million of Cameroon’s 24million inhabitants. (internal crisis group)

The Anglophone crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon started by common law lawyers and teachers of  the two English speaking regions. It later on escalated into an armed conflict that has precipitated a large Influx of Cameroonian refugees into Nigeria and many internally displaced persons (IDPs) all over the country.

The effects of the crisis have caused many people to abandon their homes, farms, businesses, economic activities and offices in those areas hit by the crisis. Others were forced to move because their houses were either incinerated by the military or by the separatist fighters (Amba).

The crisis has brought a huge effect on the economic sector, the agricultural sector, business activities and the administrative sector which has led to a general hardship on the people of the two English speaking regions of the country. As stated above, it all started with the common law lawyers with a peaceful strike action after presenting their ethical problems to the government with no solution from the government. (crisis situation report)

On the 9thof May 2015, about 700 Anglophone lawyers met in Bamenda to address the common law lawyers’ issues. Among the issues raised was the point that the government was trying to erase the common law system through a process called harmonization. The transfer of civil law magistrates to work in the English speaking regions who are not groomed in the common law system and were not fluent in English language for the people to understand and also the translation of  some basic texts that existed in the French language to English.

This memorandum was copied to the government through the ministry of justice and other institutions like the senate, parliament and some embassies like the United States and British High Commissioner. (internal crisis group)

A year later after a complete silence from the government, the lawyers met again in Buea in February 2016. The meeting extended the memorandum for another six months, which still did not get any response from the government.

On October 6, 2016, all the common law lawyers embarked on a strike action. It should be noted that while the government was silent over the plight of the lawyers, the teachers’ trade union of the English-speaking regions also tabled a catalogue of problems they were facing. The non-response to the grievances of both trade unions saw the teachers joined the strike on November 21^st 2016. (internal crisis group)

The strike turned into a crisis because other syndicates like the transporters, bike union and the civil society joined in and civil disobedience set in like the coffin revolution of Mancho Bibixy in Bamenda, the ghost towns, the boycott of national events like the 11 of February, 20^th of May and the women’s day celebration and the non-functioning of schools.

The Diaspora started propagating information through the social media into the country. On the 22^nd of September 2017, there was a general peace match with peace plants through the two English speaking regions in anticipation for their independence as propagated by the Diaspora. During this process, a lot of youths were massacred by the government forces.

Youths who picked up arms claimed they were pushed into an armed resistance by the way government forces massacred Anglophone youths protesting with peace plants, lawyers brutalized, students molested in the Universities of Buea and Bamenda, the arrest of the consortium leaders, placing a ban on all activities of the consortium, the Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC) and the internet shutdown for 93days in the two Anglophone regions.

From the start of this armed conflict, life has never been the same. Looting, destruction of public and private property, killings, road blockades, persistent ghost towns, burnings, kidnappings and lockdowns have become the order of the day. (internal crisis group)

It should be recalled that the crisis was triggered by corporate demands made by lawyers and teachers calling for the translation of the OHADA Uniform Acts into English and the preservation of the specificity of the Anglo-Saxon judicial and educational systems in the two regions. Though triggered by the lawyers and teachers, the Anglophone crisis resulted from what is known as the Anglophone problem in Cameroon. (internal crisis group)

What are the Government efforts in helping Internally displaced persons in the Southwest region of Cameroon?

The President of the Republic, H.E. Paul BIYA, has instituted a special plan to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) and victims of abuses in the North-West and South-West Regions.

The 18-month Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan was unveiled in Yaounde on Wednesday 20 June 2018 by the Prime Minister, Head of Government.

Both regions have registered over 74,966 IDPs after lawless individuals hijacked the legitimate concerns raised by some English-speaking lawyers and teachers with acts of terrorism.

The main objective of the 12.7 billion CFAF humanitarian relief fund is to protect the IDPs, facilitate the resumption of economic and agricultural activities, and promote togetherness. This will be achieved through the provision of food and basic needs – healthcare, education, and housing. (2023 Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon.)

Cameroon is struggling to get humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of people who fled areas of separatist unrest, some of them trapped by the fighting. Meanwhile, authorities’ calls for separatists to disarm and be pardoned are failing as rehabilitation centers remain empty.(VOA. 24:2019)

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite the non-acknowledgement of the Anglophone problem from the government leaders which has turned into an armed conflict, there exists a discontent by some Anglophones both young and old, as to how Anglophones are treated.

This discontent presents itself in calls for federation or separation with movements that are gathering strength which has degenerated to an armed conflict that has led to far reaching consequences, for instance, over 3000 dead, about 100,000 people as refugees, persistent ghost towns and lock downs, over 200,000 people internally displaced (IDPs), schools closed down, kidnappings, beheading and burnings. (IPP media 9 July 2018)

The government of Cameroon’s efforts to address the Anglophone problem has been inadequate. Instead of addressing the root cause of the problem, the Cameroon government strongly believes in delaying tactics to end the crisis.

The overall research problem addressed in this study is that, despite the difficulties of Cameroon government to address the Anglophone crisis much has been done for an inclusive dialogue and the call for a cease fire in the two Anglophone regions though it has not been announced by both parties which have continued to inflict negative effects.

1.3 Research Questions

From the foregoing, the following research questions will guide the study

1) To what extent have the Anglophobe crises effected the southwesterners?

2) What have the Cameroon Government done and what are they doing in helping the internally displaced persons in the Southwest region?

3) Which are the appropriate models that the government need to adopt in helping the IDP

1.4 Objectives of the study

1.4.1 The main objective of the study

The main objective of the study is to examine the extent to which the Anglophone crisis has affected the people, their living conditions and the economy of the South West region and Cameroon and to critically appraise the efforts of the Government in helping IDPs in the Southwest region of Cameroon.

1.4.2 Specific objectives of the study

To examine the effects of the crisis on internally displaced persons in the Southwest region

To evaluate the impact of the crisis on the communities, that is the towns and villages of South West region (Fako and Meme).

To analyse an appraise the efforts of the Government in helping Internally displaced persons affected by the Anglophone crisis.

1.5 Hypothesis of the Study

H_O1: The Anglophone crisis has a negative effects on south westerners

H₁1: Anglophone crisis does not have a negative effects on south westerners.

H_O2: The Anglophone crisis have affected Southwest region at large

H₁2: The Anglophone crisis have not affected Southwest region at large

H_O3: The Government have done much in helping IDPs in the Southwest region

_H13: The Government have not done anything in helping IDPs in the Southwest region