Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oublié

The North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, traditionally known as NOSO, are the scene of an armed conflict pitting government forces against pro-independence militias. This asymmetrical confrontation, which has its roots in the vicissitudes of the dual Franco-British colonial heritage, began...

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Main Authors: Serge Loungou, Serges Meye Ndong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université de Reims Champagne-Ardennes 2023-12-01
Series:L'Espace Politique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/11591
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author Serge Loungou
Serges Meye Ndong
author_facet Serge Loungou
Serges Meye Ndong
author_sort Serge Loungou
collection DOAJ
description The North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, traditionally known as NOSO, are the scene of an armed conflict pitting government forces against pro-independence militias. This asymmetrical confrontation, which has its roots in the vicissitudes of the dual Franco-British colonial heritage, began in October 2017, when activists claiming to be from the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (SCACUF) symbolically proclaimed the independence of their regions under the banner of the "Republic of Ambazonia" and created armed militias to fight the presence of the Cameroonian state in the English-speaking zone. The violence linked to this insurgency rapidly turned into a low-intensity armed conflict, the humanitarian and socio-economic consequences of which are considered disastrous after six years of confrontation. The NOSO is the setting for a forgotten conflict, with the understanding that the international community is involved at least in terms of humanitarian care, media attention and political and diplomatic initiatives. This article examines the factors and effects of this neglect. Thus, it appears that the denial and lead screed maintained by Cameroonian actors contribute to hindering the action of the international community in the two regions plagued by armed violence, and that the weak international mobilization associated with the intransigence of the main local protagonists favors the stalemate of the conflict, the specter of which tends to extend beyond the original home of Anglophone Cameroon.
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spelling doaj-art-6523c817ee5d4e0b925a212b6b356a8d2025-08-20T03:47:37ZengUniversité de Reims Champagne-ArdennesL'Espace Politique1958-55002023-12-014710.4000/espacepolitique.11591Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oubliéSerge LoungouSerges Meye NdongThe North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, traditionally known as NOSO, are the scene of an armed conflict pitting government forces against pro-independence militias. This asymmetrical confrontation, which has its roots in the vicissitudes of the dual Franco-British colonial heritage, began in October 2017, when activists claiming to be from the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Consortium United Front (SCACUF) symbolically proclaimed the independence of their regions under the banner of the "Republic of Ambazonia" and created armed militias to fight the presence of the Cameroonian state in the English-speaking zone. The violence linked to this insurgency rapidly turned into a low-intensity armed conflict, the humanitarian and socio-economic consequences of which are considered disastrous after six years of confrontation. The NOSO is the setting for a forgotten conflict, with the understanding that the international community is involved at least in terms of humanitarian care, media attention and political and diplomatic initiatives. This article examines the factors and effects of this neglect. Thus, it appears that the denial and lead screed maintained by Cameroonian actors contribute to hindering the action of the international community in the two regions plagued by armed violence, and that the weak international mobilization associated with the intransigence of the main local protagonists favors the stalemate of the conflict, the specter of which tends to extend beyond the original home of Anglophone Cameroon.https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/11591CameroonseparatismAmbazoniaarmed conflictlow-intensity conflictforgotten conflict
spellingShingle Serge Loungou
Serges Meye Ndong
Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oublié
L'Espace Politique
Cameroon
separatism
Ambazonia
armed conflict
low-intensity conflict
forgotten conflict
title Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oublié
title_full Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oublié
title_fullStr Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oublié
title_full_unstemmed Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oublié
title_short Les régions anglophones du Cameroun, théâtre d’un conflit oublié
title_sort les regions anglophones du cameroun theatre d un conflit oublie
topic Cameroon
separatism
Ambazonia
armed conflict
low-intensity conflict
forgotten conflict
url https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/11591
work_keys_str_mv AT sergeloungou lesregionsanglophonesducamerountheatredunconflitoublie
AT sergesmeyendong lesregionsanglophonesducamerountheatredunconflitoublie