Anglophone problem (Cameroon)

The Anglophone Problem, as it is commonly referred to in Cameroon, is a socio-political issue rooted in Cameroon's colonial legacies from the Germans, British, and the French.

The issue classically and principally opposes many Cameroonians from the Northwest and Southwest regions, many of whom consider themselves anglophones, to the rest of Cameroonians. This is based on the fact that these two regions (formally British Southern Cameroons) were controlled by Britain as a mandated and trust territory of the League of Nations and the United Nations respectively." While many Northwesterners and Southwesterners believe there is an anglophone problem, some do not. In fact, the term "anglophone" today creates a lot of controversy, as many former French Cameroonians who are either bilingual or speak only English (most of whom have gone through the English sub-system of education) consider themselves as anglophones. The root of the Anglophone problem in Cameroon can be traced back to the Foumban Conference of 1961 that united the two territories, with different colonial legacies, into one state. The Anglophone Problem is increasingly dominating the political agenda of Cameroon. This problem has led to arguments and actions (protests, strikes) that argue for federalism or separation from the union by the Anglophones. Failure to address the Anglophone Problem threatens Cameroon's ability to create national unity between the two groups of people.

The root of the Anglophone Problem can be traced back to World War I when Cameroon was known as German Kamerun. Germany first gained influence in Cameroon in 1845 when Alfred Saker of the Baptist Missionary Society introduced a mission station. In 1860, German merchants established a factory: the Woermann Company. On July 5, 1884, local tribes provided the Woermann Company with rights to control the Kamerun River, consequently setting the foundation for the later German colonization of Kamerun. In 1916, during World War I, France and Britain joined forces to attack and seize German Kamerun. Later, the Treaty of Versailles would award France and Britain mandates over Cameroon as punishment of the Germans who lost the war. Most of German Kamerun was given to the French, over 167,000 square miles of territory. The British were given Northern Cameroons, about 17,500 square miles of territory and Southern Cameroons, 16,580 square miles. Each colonizer would later influence the colonies with their European languages and cultures, thus rendering them as Anglophones and Francophones. The large difference in awarded territory has resulted in present-day Cameroon having a huge majority Francophone population and a very small minority Anglophone population.

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