Regional and Ethno-regional Dispute in Cameroon: A Case of Colonial Experience Influencing Identity Conflict

Pius, Derick Dopgima

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2020

2020-06-19

67 pages

This research is done in an era of much focus on ethnic conflicts in Africa and whether and how these groups should be recognized in the politics of these divided societies. This study therefore uses the Anglophone Cameroonians crisis as a contribution to this issue of global concern. Doing so by employing a variety of research techniques and using the politics of identity and ethnic conflict concepts as tools of analysis, the study conclusive remark is that the prolonged conflict between the two Anglophone regions and between the Anglophones and Francophones, should be seen as a logical outcome of estrange policies at the national level and also an expression of complex historical, political, economic and socio-cultural forces at the regional level. Therefore, according to this remark, politics of Identity is only use as a means of survival in difficult life conditions but not as a cause to the prolonged differences. However, the study does not admit to claims that ethnic identity differences necessarily lead to conflict. Therefore, the study aims at applauding further research on identity politics in order to promote peace. Perhaps, the most striking finding of this study is that a group can identify as ‘us’ just so because they have a common interest and that same group can divide in the absence of that interest. In this light, there are concerns about this twist when handling conflict resolution perspective from a general model. The study analyzes the divide in order to provide a holistic understanding of the phenomenon by placing it within the larger social context of Identity politics, historical experience and national politics.

Identity ; Conflict ; Colonization

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