Cameroon’s Separatist War: Anglophone Grievances and its Diaspora

Yaounde, Cameroon: Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute presides over the opening session of the National 
Dialogue called by President Biya, in Yaounde. Image: Getty, Stringer/AFP
Yaounde, Cameroon: Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute presides over the opening session of the National Dialogue called by President Biya, in Yaounde. Image: Getty, Stringer/AFP

The population of the two English-speaking regions (formerly British Southern Cameroons) makes up about one-fifth of the total population of Cameroon, constituting a sizeable minority in the country’s estimated 28.5 million people.

Summary:

  • One-fifth of Cameroon’s 28.5 million people live in two English-speaking regions in the country, formerly known as British Southern Cameroons.
  • English-speaking Cameroonians feel increasingly marginalised by the French-speaking Cameroonian elite.
  • The crisis in Cameroon’s anglophone regions descended into a civil war in 2017.
  • Anglophone Cameroonians in the diaspora are deeply involved in this struggle and play a significant role in Cameroonian politics from outside the country.

This policy insight provides insights into the origins of anglophone Cameroonians’ grievances, the role of the anglophone Cameroonian diaspora in the conflict and the prospects of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The views expressed in this publication/article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).

1 Sep 2021