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).»128(*) It is this
varied cultural and political prowess that we will be considering here in
relation to how that has changed in recent years and influenced US interest in
Cameroon. Gilbert's work accounts for why world historians, especially
Americans, are `engaging this land' both in history and politics and why so
many world historians are likely to return to Cameroon after working there.
i. Cameroon's multi-lingual heritage.
The description of Cameroon as Africa in miniature exposes
the country's multi-lingual belonging and how this is of interest to Americans,
as well as how this makes of Cameroon a regional ally for US initiatives.
Officially bilingual (English and French), and belonging to the Commonwealth,
La Francophonie and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), and with
three of the four language families in Africa, Cameroon stands as an entry into
Francophone African studies for Americans and as a bridge between the three
major languages of the African Union and the UN.
Cameroon's bilingualism and the `rush to learn
English'129(*) that
characterizes Cameroon's cultural and socio-political and even economic scene
today also reveals a new configuration of alliances. Inscribed in the
constitution,130(*)
Cameroon's bilingualism follows the process of globalization which tilts more
to the Anglo-Saxon World of which America is a prominent leader. The process of
bilingualism in Cameroon has followed both internal changes (linguistic policy)
and external re-alignments (diversification of partners and adhesion to la
Francophonie and the Commonwealth).131(*) We must however understand that this spread of
English, as Jean Marie le Breton demonstrated, is not credited just to the
Commonwealth, but also to other powers.132(*) The success of English in Cameroon as elsewhere in
the world results from its large migration and status as a world lingua franca,
its liberal ideology of democracy, its ability to dominate scientific research
and its capacity to open up to other cultures. In this sense the US plays a
very important role.
The point here is that Cameroon corresponds to the image of a
country whose English-learning history has kept rising. Several Cameroonians
have not only engaged in learning English, but look up to America as a
privileged destination for studies. In the study done by Madina (cited above),
to the question «To which system would you turn to if you were to study
abroad?» relating to the Anglo-Saxon or French system, 72% said `to the
English system', because it as softer and more practical - for
specialization.133(*)
Taking for granted that all Anglophones in Cameroon would prefer the English
system, and that the English system is predominantly American, we could
conclude that US interest in Cameroon is not unconnected to this `all English',
`rush for English' advantage. In Madina's words, «Cameroon is inclined to
Anglicization which is imposed by globalization ... and should favor the
construction of new alliances out of the francophone world which has always
been its referent setting».134(*)
More so, in as much as the Commonwealth considers Cameroon to
be an entry point into a predominantly francophone Central Africa,135(*) the US considers Cameroon to
be an entry into this same region, and an ally within the OIC. Cameroon's
belonging to these three international organizations and geopolitical entities
becomes an attractive factor to the US is post 9/11 alliance-building
strategies.
On a similar line, we should note that Cameroon's linguistic
exuberance is quite inviting to great powers interested in Africa. In the over
250 languages spoken in Cameroon, we find 24 major African language groups. Of
Joseph Greenberg's four African language family groups (Afro-Asiatic,
Niger-Kordofanian, Nilo-Saharan and Khoisan groups), three are found in
Cameroon (Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan and Niger-Kordofanian). Since these
languages are the most spoken on the continent and that the Khoisan group is
spoken by less than 100,000 people in Southern Africa, Cameroon represents one
of the most strategic linguistic poles for non-Africans interested in studying
the region. Added to this linguistic exuberance is the religious blend
presented by CIA World Fact Book as composed of: indigenous beliefs 40%,
Christian 40% and Muslim 20%. This blend, which could also be found in other
African countries, associated with the linguistic and ethnic diversity, gives
the sense that «Cameroon is one of Africa's most naturally and culturally
diverse countries.»136(*)
Other cultural attractions in Cameroon, which are not the
least, are Cameroonian soccer reputation and its tourism and music potentials.
Cameroon's success in soccer, after reaching semi-finals in 1990 and winning
the Sydney 2000 Olympic gold medal, as well as other world and continental
performances have made of the country a considerable attraction in the world.
Beating the US in FIFA classifications, and classified first African football
nation for several years, it is little wonder that Americans get interested in
Cameroon. More so, Cameron has several tourism sites such as the Mount Cameroon
which is the highest peak in Central and West Africa. In the same line,
Cameroonian music ranks high in the sub-region, challenged only by the
Congolese (DRC) music, with such musicians as WES Madico and Manu Dibango, who
are well known to a cross section of American peoples.
ii. The particularity of Cameroon's political
history.
Historically, Cameroon is a former colony137(*) of the three European
strongest countries: Britain, France, and Germany. In July 1884, Germany, the
United Kingdom, and France each attempted to annex the area, with Britain from
the West and the French from the South, North and East, and the Germans as
new-comers in the late 19th century Scramble for Africa. In a treaty with
local chiefs, the German Consul of Tunis, Tunisia, extended a protectorate over
Cameroon. Germany strengthened its claim and expanded its territory by
treaties with the United Kingdom and France, but British and French armies
invaded the German colony in 1914 while World War I was ragging. A 1919
declaration divided Cameroon between the United Kingdom and France, with the
larger, eastern area under France. A 1922 League of Nations mandatory decision
sanctioned this division, giving France 70% percent of the territory and
Britain the rest. In 1946, the United Nations converted the mandates to
trusteeships. By December 1958, the French trusteeship was ended, such that
French Cameroon became the Republic of Cameroon on January 1, 1960. In February
1961, a plebiscite under UN auspices in British (west) Cameroon determined
whether people wished union with Nigeria or with the new Republic of Cameroon.
Northern voters chose to join Nigeria; southern voters, Cameroon. On July 1,
1961, the northern area was absorbed by Nigeria.
On October 1, 1961, the southern part joined French Cameroon,
and the new Federal Republic of Cameroon was created. From 1961 until spring
1972, Cameroon was governed as a federation, with east (formerly French)
Cameroon and west (formerly British) Cameroon having individual
governments--each with a parliament and ministries, in addition to the federal
government structure. In 1972, President Ahidjo proposed abolition of the
federal structure. A May 20, 1972, referendum gave widespread endorsement to
the proposal, and a June 2 decree proclaimed the United Republic of Cameroon
retroactive to May 20. On January 25, 1984, a constitutional amendment made
its official name the Republic of Cameroon.
This political heritage is important in US minds for the fact
that the tripartite colonial experience has given Cameroon international
cognizance, prestige and honor. We should understand US interest in building a
constructive engagement with a prestigious African country. Such an engagement
would create a collaborative framework with American most valuable European
allies (Britain, Germany and France). We should notice that other former German
colonies were given as Mandates either to France or Britain; Cameroon alone
stood to be partitioned for geostrategic and geopolitical reasons.
In all, Cameroon's political history reflects events and
ideologies in the entire Third World history, as well as major events in world
history. This has been aptly captured by Marc Gilbert when he wrote of Cameroon
that
* 128 Marc Gilbert,
«The World in Miniature': Cameroon in World History as seen through
Documents, Film, Literature and Photographs», History Cooperative
database, University of Illinois, 2004, at
http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/WorldHistoryConnected
Vol 2 No 1, consulted September 24th, 2006.
* 129 Cameroon Tribune,
n°7312/3601, March 21, 2001, p4. Citing Simo Bobda, Madina,
«La Problématique de la diffusion de l'Anglais au Cameroun»
Yaoundé, IRIC, 2006, relates this phenomenon thus: «Most English
speaking schools in the cities are increasingly flooded by francophone pupils
and students (...) francophone parents (...) insist on giving their children
the best of Anglo-Saxon education.» P83.
* 130 Article 1, paragraph 3
of the 18 January 1996 Constitution »The Republic of Cameroon adopts
English and French as official languages of equal value»
* 131 The process of the
spread of English in Cameroon and its implications have been studied by Madina
(La Problématique de la diffusion de l'Anglais au Cameroun) cited above.
Apart from cataloguing the different domains of the spread of English, she
accounts for this spread to growing community of English speakers around the
world, Cameroon's adhesion to the Commonwealth, influences of greater American
presence and engagement, as well as prestige.
* 132 Jean Marie le Breton,
»Réflexions Anglophiles sur la Géopolitique de
l'Anglais», in Hérodote, Langue et
Territoires, No. 105, Paris: La Découverte, Fall 2002, pp
14-22.
* 133 Madina, op, cit. p43
* 134 Ibid, p83
* 135 This idea was expressed
by Commonwealth Scribe, Mc Kenon in a recent (2006) interview after a visit to
Cameroon.
* 136
http://us-africa.tripod.com/cameroon.html
* 137 According to
international law, Cameroon has been a colony only to Germany. Under France and
Britain, Cameroon has been first a mandate (divided between East and West) from
1919 to 1945 and then a Trusteeship territory from 1945 to 1960-61.
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