The Africa Report — July-August 2017

has delivered piecemeal initiatives to
address some concerns. It has created a
commissiononbilingualismandmulti-
culturalism,setupacommonlawsection
at theEcole Nationale d’Administration
et de la Magistratureand launched the
recruitment of 1,000 bilingual teachers.
But the government’s hand is heavy.
Evidenceofitsno-holds-barredapproach
tosnuffingoutthreats–realorperceived–
can be seen in the April handing down
of a 10-year prison sentence for RFI
journalist Ahmed Abba for failure to
denounceactsofterrorism,andthesame
punishmentinNovemberforthreeyoung
peoplewhosharedajokeviatextmessage
about Boko Haram.
In response tothe recent protests, the
government cut off the regions’ internet
from early January until mid-April. For
RebeccaEnonchong,whohelpedrunthe
campaign to force Yaoundé to switch it
back on, it shows how out of touch the
administration is. “Some people in the
government believed that the internet
[itself] caused the demonstrations,” she
says. “But more worrying, international
investors will now see Cameroon as a
place that shuts down the internet. Our
risk profile is automatically increased.”
Beyond their purely anglophone
preoccupations, residents of Bamenda
criticise government in the same ways
that can be heard in Yaoundé, Douala

and other parts of the country. Bryan,

who sits on a stool next to a colleague

and runsa clothingshopastone’s throw

away from Commercial Avenue, says

that corruption and mismanagement

are hurting business: “We pay taxes and

for what? Corruption here is the worst,

and police and other officials are here

just to make money.”

SECESSION MURMURS

How could the conflict be resolved?

Samantha, who runs a small restaurant

near the centre of town that serveseru

and other traditional dishes, is categor-

ical: “Separation would be good for me.

The francophones have stolen all of our

resources and treat us like slaves.”

Nevertheless, though much of

Cameroon’s oil is located in the Rio del

Rey area of South West Region, and the

area has little to show for it, secession

remains a minority view. For now.

Samanthaadds:“Thegovernmentsends

peoplewhoonlyspeakFrenchtocontrol

the border with Nigeria. I go there often

to buy products to sell here. If they hear

you speak English, they treat you badly.

If they hear pidgin, they go crazy.”

Her sister Cecile is working with her

nowbecauseshecouldnotfinishherlast

year of university courses in economics

due to the recent troubles. “We love her,

sowekeptherathome.Theyarecutting

offthehandsofpeoplewhogotoschool.

You can see videos of it on the internet.”

James, the taxi driver, says he is per-

plexed by the possibilities: “I would

just like everyone to work together. I

am confused about it but I do not think

secession would work.” He says that he

wants to leave Bamenda and go back

to Yaoundé because he is making less

than half of the money he used to earn.

Clockwise from

left: lack of

investment has

left Bamenda’s

roads in a poor

state of repair;

customers are

in short supply

at the market;

fires at a bar on

Nkwen Street

and at the

market are

seen as a sign

that those who

do not respect

the business

boycott will be

punished

REINNIER KAZÉ FOR TAR

REINNIER KAZÉ FOR TAR

CAMEROON |COUNTRY FOCUS 47