The Place of Cameroon in US Policy toward Central Africa after the Events of September 11 2001

• GENERAL INTRODUCTION
  
• An overview
  
• Research idea
  
• Interest and Justification
  
• Objectives
  
• Limits
  
• Literature review
  
• Central question
  
• Hypotheses
  
• Methodology
  
• Theoretical framework
  
• Definition of relevant concepts
  
• CHAPTER ONE: FACTORS WITHIN CAMEROON
  
• FOR US INTEREST IN CAMEROON
  
  • Section 1: History of US presence in Cameroon as an incentive
    
    • 1. The period before diplomatic relations
      
    • 2. The period after diplomatic relations
      
  • Figure 2. source: author's arrangement with data from US embassy, Yaoundé
    
  • Section 2: Geopolitical factors for US interest in Cameroon
    
    • 1. Political stability and change of US policy
      
      • i. A difficult political transition in the 1990s
        
      • ii. Cameroon's acquisition of political stability at the turn of the century
        
    • 2. Cameroon's cultural and political heritage as an attraction to the United States.
      
    • Cameroon's particularity is drawn from Africa's rich and varied heritage. The variety of African anthropological history makes it difficult to be studied under broad classifications in history or politics. However, in the broadest sociological and political classifications, some unifying traits can be identified. It is in this sense that Cameroon gained its common appellation of `Africa in miniature', explained by Marc Gilbert as a country «of varied geography (ranging from rainforest to savannah to desert), ethnography (from Fulbe/Fulani to Pygmy), languages (both French and English as well as traditional Central and West African languages) and religions (Christianity and Islam as well as indigenous belief systems).»
      
      • i. Cameroon's multi-lingual heritage.
        
    • It also possesses an archetypical experience of indigenous state formation, of colonial conquest and administration, of the First World War, of the Mandate System, of Negritude, of Afro-Asian independence movements, of the Cold War, and of post-colonial society, economy and polity.
      
    • 3. Cameroon's resources
      
• The Oil attraction
  
  • i. Other natural resources
    
  • ii. Environmental interest
    
  • 4. Geographical location: a country strategically opened to the sea with Useable airfields
    
• 1CHAPTER 2: SUB-REGIONAL (CENTRAL AFRICA)
  
• FACTORS FOR US INTEREST IN CAMEROON
  
  • Section 1: US policy after 9/11, from defense of democratic values to fight against terrorism.
    
    • 1. US interests in the sub-region. The growth of strategic interests
      
    • 2. US interests in the sub-region: the global fight against terrorism.
      
  • Section 2: US and alliance building in a sub- regional perspective.
    
    • 1. An increasing economically-based interest
      
    • 3. US interests in the sub-region: The intensification of humanitarian interests
      
    • Section 3: Cameroon as a leader of the sub-regional
      
    • 1. Cameroon as a leader in the CEMAC
      
    • 2. A leading role in ECCAS
      
    • 3. Zone Franc
      
• CHAPTER 3: INSTANCES OF INTENSIFICATION IN
  
• CAMEROON US RELATIONS SINCE 9/11
  
  • Section 1: Practical growth
    
    • 1. Bilateral visits
      
    • 2. Economics and trade: the Chad Cameroon pipeline within AGOA
      
    • 3. Cameroon US Air route.
      
    • 4. Cultural exchanges
      
    • 5. The role of financial institutions such as the AfDB, IMF and World Bank. An interdependent reading
      
  • Section 2: Symbolical intensification (around image and discourse)
    
    • 1. US Head of Missions' out-door activities and public appearances; US Head of Mission's audiences with the presidency of the republic
      
    • 2. The role of the new US embassy in Yaoundé. An edifice in the image of future Cameroon-US relations.
      
    • 3. US public diplomacy in Cameroon; selling public image and doing business.
      
• CHAPTER 4: STAKES OF US PRESENCE IN CAMEROON
  
  • Section 1: stakes for the US
    
    • 1. US and empire building in the Gulf of Guinea: need for virgin ground?
      
    • 2. The cost of greater engagement
      
  • Section 2: stakes for other great powers.
    
    • 1. A threat to the French
      
    • 2. Future confrontations with China?
      
  • Section 3: Protected by the colossus: What stakes for Cameroon in the present state of affairs?
    
    • 1. Cameroon and other poles of attraction in the sub-region.
      
    • 2. How can Cameroon benefit from the present state of relations?
      
    • 3. What future for Cameroon US relations? Challenges of an emerging Central African country?
      
• How can Cameroon tackle all these challenges? Cameroon must constitute think tanks or policy planning staffs (permanent or ad hoc), especially in relation to the US. In the US, Haas asserts that «The rise of modern think tanks parallels the rise of the United States to global leadership».
  
• by generating original ideas and options for policy, by supplying a ready pool of experts for employment in government, by offering venues for high-level discussions, by educating U.S. citizens about the world, and by supplementing official efforts to mediate and resolve conflict.
  
• Instituting think tanks for Cameroonian foreign policy in general and Cameroon Us policy in particular will provide the advantages Haass put forward above, though such institutions might to wield as much power and funds as US think tanks would do. A last convincing role and advantage of think tanks advanced by Haass is that, «Unencumbered by official positions, think tank scholars can afford to give candid assessments of pressing global challenges and the quality of government responses.»
  
• GENERAL CONCLUSION
  
  • 1. Will the US produce a policy paper for Cameroon?
    
  • 2. Suggestions and recommendations for further studies