External Interference and Conflict Management: The Case of the Anglophone Conflict in the North West and South West Regions

The Anglophone conflict in Cameroon, mainly in the North West and South West regions, has turned into a defining, long-standing political conflict that transcends social, structural-cultural, and economic dimensions. This conflict that results from the exclusion of the Anglophone population by the mostly Francophone Government has attracted external attention from international organizations, foreign governments, and NGOs, among other actors. This review article seeks to analyze different external actors in the Anglophone conflict, seeking to explore diplomatic mediation, humanitarian assistance, and diplomacy pressures on the Anglophone conflict. Assistance from international actors seemed to have focused on raising awareness and rendering humanitarian support, which also encountered major problems such as lack of endorsement of third-party intervention by the Cameroonian Government. Efforts like those of the United Nations, America, and Switzerland have proved unfruitful due to poor governmental participation and exclusion of stakeholders, especially secessionist leaders. Most humanitarian aid endeavors have been faced with challenges arising from the politics of aid and the insecurity of aid personnel. The two policies of aggression, such as economic sanctions and diplomatic pressures, have not been very effective in forcing the Cameroonian Government to enter into dialogue with separatist groups. This review article posits that a better strategy is required to address the conflict by incorporating all stakeholders in order to encourage definitive discussion of the core issues that have fueled the Anglophone’s need for autonomy and independence. The article provides suggestions for future research on conflict management in the region, and the context for peacebuilding is suggested as a complex multi-actor process.