The Dynamics of Cameroon’s Major National Dialogue and Attempts at Resolving the Anglophone Crisis since 2016: Understanding National and International Responses

This paper revisits the historical roots and attempts by national and international parties in preventing and resolving the Anglophone Crisis since the last phase of its escalation in 2016. It argues that, the Major National Dialogue that was influenced by bottom-up pressures from national, regional, and international actors in the form of protests and armed confrontations, has not successfully addressed the conflict. While the Government thinks that the Dialogue at the Conference Centre in Yaoundé from 30 September to 4 October 2019 was successful, leaders of opposition parties, civil society activists and separatist groups responses show that it was a big failure and a “non-event” that had nothing to do with their struggle for separation and independence. The study which depended on both the rich primary and secondary sources that exist on post-independence Cameroon, argues that, the failure of both the Swiss-led and Canadian-led peace talks and the inability of the government to cooperate with external parties and separatist leaders has given way to more violence in the regions. The study concludes that, for peace and security to be restored, the government of Cameroon must put aside its interests and reorganize an inclusive, broad-based and transparent National Dialogue without preconditions, especially as the crisis has rendered the entire Anglophone regions ungovernable.