BY PROF. TARH NTANTANG (PHD)
INTRODUCTION
The Cameroon Anglophone crisis has persisted for nearly a decade, defying repeated state narratives proclaimed by the Cameroon Prime Minister, Dr Joseph Dion Nguty, that the conflict will “naturally die” within a generational time frame. This essay critically interrogates the illusion of natural dissolution by examining the historical roots of Anglophone grievances, the structural dynamics that sustain the conflict, and the contradictions embedded in state-led peacebuilding. Drawing on critical peace studies, conflict transformation theory, and systems analysis, the essay argues that the crisis is not self-reproducing. Through illustrative examples, including school shutdowns, village burnings, and the emergence of a war economy, the paper demonstrates that state securitisation, fragmented armed groups, and symbolic reforms have entrenched rather than resolved the conflict. The essay concludes that sustainable peace requires structural transformation, inclusive dialogue, and a reimagining of governance arrangements, rather than reliance on the passage of time.
The cameroon Anglophone crisis, which began in 2016 with professional protests by lawyers and teachers, has evolved into one of Africa’s most complex and protracted conflicts. What began as sectoral grievances over legal and education marginalization quickly escalated into a broader political confrontation, culminating in armed separatist movements seeking independence for “Ambazonia.” Despite the scale of violence, displacement, and humanitarian suffering, official discourse has often suggested that the crisis will fade with time. Statements implying that the conflict will ” naturally die within the next 10 or 15 years” reflects a belief that separatist insurgency will exhaust themselves, lose support, or fragment to irrelevance. This essay challenges that assumption. It argues that the crisis is structurally sustained by governance failures, identity-based grievances, securization, and the emergence of conflict economies. Far from dying naturally, the crisis has become embedded in the political and social fabric of the cameroon’s Anglophone regions. This illusion of natural death obscures the need for deliberate, inclusive, and transformative peace building.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: ROOTS OF ANGLOPHONE GRIEVANCES
The Anglophone problem is not a recent phenomenon. It stems from the colonial partition of Cameroon between Britain and France, the 1961 plebiscite, and the dismantling of federalism in 1972. Anglophones have long perceived themselves as marginalised within a centralised, Francophone-dominated state. Key historical grievances include the erosion of the common law system, the Francophonisation of Anglophone education, unequal political representation, and centralised governance that undermines local autonomy. These grievances provided the backdrop to the 2016 protest. The state’s militarised response transformed historical frustrations into active resistance. The crisis thus reflects a long-standing structural tension rather than a temporary disruption.
THE CONCEPTUAL ARGUMENT: THE ILLUSION OF NATURAL DEATH
The state narratives put forward by the Prime Minister, based on the notion that the crisis will “naturally die”, rest on several assumptions, including that armed groups will fragment and weaken, that communities are tired of violence and will withdraw support, that state institutions will maintain territorial control, and that time will erode separatist ideology.
WHY THIS NARRATIVE IS ILLUSORY
It is worth noting that critical peace studies emphasise that conflicts rooted in structural injustice do not dissipate without structural change. The Anglophone crisis is sustained by identity-based grievances, perceived historical betrayal, state repression, humanitarian suffering, and economic incentives for violence. These factors create a self-reinforcing cycle. Time alone cannot dismantle the structures that reproduce conflict.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS: STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS SUSTAINING THE CRISIS
- SECURITIZATION AND RADICALIZATION
The state’s securitised response, including arrests, internet shutdowns, village burnings, and militarisation, has deepened mistrust. Communities that initially sought it increasingly embraced separatist narratives as state violence escalated. Securitisation thus radicalised moderate actors and broadened support for armed resistance. - FRAGMENTATION OF ARMED GROUPS
It is worth noting that rather than weakening the movement, fragmentation has made it more resilient. Decentralised armed groups are harder to dismantle, negotiate with, or co-opt. Fragmentation also fuels competition, leading to cycles of violence that have sustained the conflict. - EMERGENCE OF A WAR ECONOMY
The Anglophone crisis has created economic incentives for both separatists and state actors through illegal taxation, makeshift checkpoints, numerous smuggling networks, ransom kidnappings, diversion of humanitarian aid, etc. When conflict becomes profitable, peace becomes economically costly. Thus, these dynamics undermine the assumption of natural dissolution. - HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AS A DRIVER OF CONFLICT.
Ten years later, over 700,000 people have been displaced, and more than 1.5 million require humanitarian assistance. Displacement, trauma, and the loss of livelihoods reinforce grievances and deepen resentment towards the state. Humanitarian suffering thus sustains separatist ideology.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
- SCHOOL SHUTDOWNS
The separatist-enforced school boycotts and the state’s militarisation of school zones have created an educational vacuum. A generation of children has been deprived of schooling, producing long-term instability. Education has become both a battleground and a symbol of state failure.
- VILLAGE BURNINGS
The numerous reports of village burnings by security forces have created cycles of trauma and displacement. These actions reinforce narratives of state oppression, making reconciliation difficult. - PARALLEL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES
In parts of the North and South regions of Cameroon, separatists have established parallel governance systems, including courts, taxation, and security. These structures entrench separatist authority and undermine state legitimacy. - DIASPORA INFLUENCE
The Anglophone diaspora plays a significant role in funding, advocacy, and ideological reinforcement. Diaspora networks sustain the conflict’s international visibility and provide resources that prevent its natural dissolution.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACE BUILDING
THE LIMITS OF SYMBOLIC REFORMS
Government initiatives such as the Major National Dialogue in 2019 and the creation of the National Commission for Bilingualism and Multiculturalism have been criticised as symbolic or palliative measures. Without structural change, domestic reforms cannot address deep-rooted grievances.
THE NEED FOR INCLUSIVE DIALOGUE
The key stumbling block in the state-building agenda remains the configuration of relationships between the central state and local communities. Achieving stability in the two English-speaking regions requires a sustainable solution to the historic antagonism between the forces that favoured federalism and those that favoured the autonomy of the Anglophone region (TARH NTANTANG, 2025). Effective peacebuilding requires the inclusion of armed separatists, civil society, traditional leaders, women’s groups, youth, and diaspora communities. Excluding key actors reinforces fragmentation and undermines legitimacy.
STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONAL
Sustainable peace requires genuine decentralisation, Federalist restructuring, power-sharing mechanisms, judicial and educational reforms, and demilitarisation of civilian spaces. These measures will address the root causes of the crisis rather than its symptoms.
HUMAN SECURITY APPROACH
Peace building must prioritize civilian protection, trauma healing, restoration of essential services, and human access. Human security builds trust and reduces incentives for violence.
CONCLUSION
The Cameroon Anglophone crisis will not “naturally die” within 10 or 15 years. It is sustained by structural grievances, securitisation, fragmentation, and conflict economies. The illusion of natural dissolution obscures the need for deliberate, inclusive, and transformative peacebuilding. Sustainable peace requires addressing historical injustices, restructuring governance, and prioritising human security. Time alone cannot resolve a conflict rooted in identity, marginalisation, and state violence. Only structural transformation can break the cycle of self-reproduction and pave the way for lasting peace.
PROF. TARH NTANTANG (PHD)
FOUNDER/CEO OF NTANTANG RESEARCH AND CONSULTING CENTER (NRCC), YAOUNDE, CAMEROON. HE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK TITLED “CAMEROON ANGLOPHONE CRISIS: THE TOLL OF WAR”. HE IS A GLOBAL POLICY EXPERT AND PRACTITIONER IN DEMOCRACY SUPPORT, PEACE BUILDING AND GOVERNANCE, WITH OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE ACROSS AFRICA. HE HOLDS A DOCTORATE IN POLITICAL ECONOMY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF YAOUNDE 1. A CERTIFIED CLIMATE MIGRATION SCHOLAR AT YORK UNIVERSITY, TORONTO, CANADA.
