UNVEILING THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN THE RADICALIZATION OF THE ANGLOPHONE CRISIS IN CAMEROON

The paper examines the government’s role in the radicalization of the Anglophone Crisis, which began in late 2016 as peaceful protests by Anglophone lawyers and teachers against systemic marginalization and the perceived “Francophonisation” of Anglo-Saxon institutions. While the Anglophone Problem has been a persistent struggle since the 1960s, the largely non-violent resistance escalated in 2017 into an armed secessionist conflict, popularly termed the “Ambazonian” war. Drawing on both primary and secondary sources, the study critically evaluates government policies and responses to the corporate grievances raised by Anglophones. It argues that repressive measures, rather than constructive engagement, exacerbated tensions and significantly contributed to the violent escalation of the crisis. Although the prospect of a successful secession by Anglophone Cameroon (former Southern Cameroons) remains uncertain, the paper warns that continued reliance on military solutions without genuine dialogue and consensual reforms risks prolonging the conflict, intensifying bloodshed, and destabilizing Cameroon as well as the Central African sub-region.