Technological Innovations and Their Toll on Crime in the Armed Conflict Experience in Cameroon: Dimensioning the Trends and Evolution During the Anglophone Armed Violence

Technological advancements in the 21st century have brought about a huge paradigm shift, especially on issues of information sharing, rapid spread of information in general and security concerns in particular. The creation of the internet is at the centre of these technological developments, which goes beyond states’ boundaries, making the world a global village. These technological advancements have not only brought enormous improvements to our individual lifestyles and society at large, but it has equally brought about a surge in armed conflicts in the world at large. This era of rapid technological developments and the increasing use of technological devices is what this paper herein refers to as technological innovations. These technological innovations have greatly impacted the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon. The use of modern hardware and software-based devices served as a springboard for the exacerbation of the Anglophone crisis in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon. The Anglophone separatist activists, both in the diaspora and at home, largely exploited these technological developments to their advantage. Through various social media and technologies, they rallied the masses; disseminated information about the crises, and procured financial resources to purchase weapons. With the information age and new technologies, it is increasingly becoming very difficult to conceal certain sensitive information. This paper provides a discussion on how the use of modern hardware and software-based technologies exacerbated the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon. Evidence derived from primary and secondary sources, using qualitative and quantitative methods, shows that new technological innovations have a tremendous effect on the Anglophone Crisis. Those fighting to create a separate country called Ambazonia used varied technological means to propagate their ideals and to confront the national army, thereby attracting many youths and sympathisers to their cause.