By Emmanuel Konde
First it was the Germans, then the French and British. The impact of the political cultures of these three European powers on Cameroonians influenced the way they treated with one another at different times in their political history. Even after the defeat and expulsion of the Germans from Cameroon, the German colonial influence competed with the French and British in their respective spheres. By the end of the Second World War, however, the German influence was fast receding, as those Cameroonians nurtured in it were either too old to participate actively in politics or were gradually dying out.
When in 1961 British Southern Cameroons elected to reunite with the recently independent Republic of Cameroon, that union was predicated on the political principle of Federalism. Yet underneath that Federalism were two powerful political currents which derived their ethos from alien political cultures: the British national political culture of local autonomy and the French political culture of national centralization.
Unskilled in politics at the time, the leaders of the new Cameroon Federation would be bogged down by a struggle for power between two contending political ideologies--both foreign to Cameroon's indigenous forms of political organization. Untrained in neither the use of the foreign nor the indigenous political cultures, the new leaders of the Federation would hold onto their colonial political cultures with religious fervor. As politics took religious connotations in the new Cameroon Federation, the contest was reduced to winner takes all, with the crumbs of power distributed here and there among willing adherents of the losing side.
Following the demise of Federalism came Unitarism--the second "ism" in the political evolution of independent Cameroon. The unitarist structure was different from federalist structure in name and name only. What came after the United Republic was but an affirmation of the trend that was set from the inception of the Federal Republic in 1961. Because of the apparent inadequacy of these structures to respond to the needs of the citizenry, a state of affairs ostensibly resulting from the accentuation of colonial mentality that emphasized the distinction between "Anglophone" and "Francophone" cultures, a third "ism' saw its appearance--"Separatism."
This essay proposes to investigate: (1) how foreigners, through the agency of colonialism, have utilized the weapon of "cultural alienation" in Cameroon to maintain their interests and foster divisions among Cameroonians; (2)the resultant effects of Cameroonians' uncritical acceptance of colonial political cultures; and (3) a possible solution to this debilitating state of affairs. The interpretive presentation that follows is made in broad strokes, since we are all knowledgeable about the political history of Cameroon.
I. THE PERVASIVENESS OF COLONIAL MENTALITY
The pervasiveness of colonial mentality among Cameroonians, the outcome of more than 75 years (1884-1961) of European colonial domination has engendered in many--especially the highly educated elements--a short-sightedness of political vision. This narrowness of vision has given rise to alienation of indigenous cultural norms, the permanence of colonial institutions, a demonstrated inability or unwillingness to revamp the outdated colonial inheritance to reflect the social, political, and economic realities of contemporary Cameroon. Given these persistent characteristics, it is not surprising that many have eloquently referred to Cameroon as an archetypal neocolonial country, marked by systems of socio-political organization that do not rejuvenate themselves.
Four decades after attaining independence, colonial influence in Cameroon is still pervasive to the point that the overriding tendency is to perpetually look outward for models of political organization. The so-called Francophones look to France, while the Anglophones look to Britain. There is something called Anglo-Saxon tradition in Cameroon. Yet one looks around to see things Anglo-Saxon to no avail. So what's the source of this self-deception? There are those Cameroonians who refer to Paris as "home." I have never been able to understand why. Indeed, the very designations of Anglophone/Francophone are manifestations of the denial of indigenous norms as significant referents. It would be no exaggeration to infer that Cameroon's outstanding national problems stem from her dual colonial legacy which, in effect, is acting as a hindrance to national integration.
This dual colonial legacy has further given rise to a distorted mentality among many, some in high and others in lowly places. It has spawned off a chain reaction consisting of graft, pretentiousness, a predator complex, lack of moral probity and, ultimately, pleasure frustrating others attempts to make an honest living.
These tendencies run through and through the modern administrative structures inherited from the colonialists. Their absence in the traditional political sectors of the country leads me to conclude that they are not indigenous to Cameroon, and that they were designed by the colonialists to keep Cameroon and other African countries permanently subservient to their erstwhile colonizers. The use of "cultural alienation" as a weapon of domination is employed every time one people in the world have conquered another. The descendants of the Gauls, against whom Julius Caesar used that weapon, are today employing it more effectively against Africans. The vestiges of cultural alienation exhibit themselves today in some of the languages Africans speak and call national languages, in their preferred style of dress, manner of speech, quotable personalities, veracity of documented sources in scholarship, preferred models of political and economic systems, etc., etc.
Since independence in 1960, Cameroon has been characterized on the political front by authoritarianism: a remnant of French colonialism, and on the economic front, according to Yondo Black & Co. by "a state of perpetual take-off."
The history of the underdevelopment of Cameroon, and for that matter Africa, can be traced back to the instability caused by the European trade in African human cargo, through colonialism [another form of European slavery] to the present state of neocolonialism. The common harvest of Africans at the hands of Europeans has been enslavement. Call it what you may, slavery and colonialism are two sides of the same coin. On the one side Africans were forcibly removed from their homelands and enslaved elsewhere; on the other, they were enslaved in their own countries. It was always the European who benefited from African labor--colonial or slave; and it was the African who was eternally placed at the service of the European. One cannot but wonder in silence and despair whether it is not about time Africans unshackled themselves from European oppression--physically, but especially mentally.
To be continued...
Excellent Article! I totally agree with the writer and even if I did not, the contents x-ray Cameroon accurately through the eyes of history. It is a wake-up call; Cameroonian should rise from their neo-colonial-imposed slumber!
Posted by: Reex Flames | Wednesday, 13 May 2009 at 09:59 AM
Well said, well said. But this is no news to the Rastaman. For a staggering thirty years, Robert Nesta Marley has been urging Africans to emancipate themselves from mental slavery, and to stop being frightened by threats of atomic energy from treacherous colonial plunderers. Africans dem say Rasta people dem crazy?!
Posted by: Ras Tuge | Wednesday, 13 May 2009 at 01:02 PM
The only way to emancipate ourselves is to take up arms-I mean suicidal arms.We cannot beat them with modern conventional weapons.
Arabs have a say today because they have demonstrated time and time again that they are willing to lay down their lives for their homelands and their prestige.
Europeans and the white man in general have terrorized us.Let's terrorize them in return.
There is nothing to lose whether we die or live.
Can anyone explain why our colonizers go and set up industries in Asia instead of Africa even after having plundered our resources? This is to have us remain eternal beggars and for them to be our eternal policy makers.
Posted by: Mad African | Wednesday, 13 May 2009 at 04:33 PM
Dr Konde, what you are saying here is nice, but it is not new. It is exactly what Dr Fonlon talked about and went to Yaounde to say it directly into Ahidjo's ear. Ahidjo and the frogs did not care then; Biya and the frogs do not care now. They just want to be French and superior in their heads.
That is why we must split. You cannot have a marriage where only one side wants it to work. You guys keep trying; you will be disappointed as we were. We have known our erstwhile partners longer.
Posted by: Ma Mary | Wednesday, 13 May 2009 at 04:42 PM
Mad African, I beg to ask? Take up arms? From which country of arms manufacture? I last recall Cameroon does not manufacture arms. Who profits from the arms trade? I will like to know how you intend to finance the purchase? Mortgage your country or promise investments? We do not have blood diamonds and out timber is dwindling.
It is so easy to be caught up with the media-spurned revolutionary ideas that no longer apply. I know you may quote Che Guevera's armed resistance to the imperial West. Although he was killed heroically in the struggle, his successes did not stem his guerrilla warfare antics- rather it was the gradual conscious enlightenment of Latin Americans(to be mindful of their pitiful plight and knowing what steps to redress the situation) that revolutionized their way of thinking and living.
Educate (not necessarily teaching them to read and write; although literacy and higher academic learning(neither memorization nor indoctrination) also plays a role because integrity without knowledge is useless!) the masses and the government shall lose its power grip. It is quite a difficult task (albeit not impossible) to do and if you are ready to help, I suggest you provide a means of informing the less-informed persons. You may be surprised at the change although it will take time. Bloody wars leave scars that hardly heal with time -ask Sierra Leon/Liberia or Angola if their deadly conflicts in the long run were beneficial.
Ma Mary, you do insist we split - but split and be aligned with whom? Alone? Note we are surrounded by Nigeria and La République (as you may say), not to mention the interest of other global powers. Just forget they will simply nod their heads and leave us in peace. If that was the case the UN could have granted autonomy to the English-speaking Cameroon since 1961 but they didn't -why?
To gain a stand in the world requires a coalition or a block of bargaining powers. That is why the EU was formed to increase their power despite their differences and influences in both world wars. I do not see any viable means for a small entity like English-speaking Cameroon survive with its plenty of resources - while the sharks lurk nearby and pretend thy shall have no interests - lets simple avoid naivety on this point.
I may also just think you missed the entire point of Dr. Konde. He is proving that the colonial mentality still pervades the Cameroonian psyche. If we keep on representing ourselves as Southern Cameroonians or Francophones or trying to compare the institutions of colonial masters in reference to the current issues and while trying in vain to extol the British system as the good and the French as the bad, then we are still mentally colonized. This talk of Francophones as the evil ones is easy although in the reality some Anglophones behave worse than the Francophones! Nevertheless it is true Anglophones have gone through some marginalization which I think came as a result of ignorance and disinformation by those in charge. I think the greatest service would be to reverse this trend by educating (see above) all Cameroonians to cooperatively live together. Splitting off amidst our wrangling on tribal issues (in particular the NW-SW divide), as well as our lost identities (replaced by the corrupted colonial-imposed cultures)shall complicated matters.
There is no point trying to justify our significant differences because in fact that will mean separating each tribe from the Cameroonian state for complete independence of each to be achieved!
Aha! You will think this is ridiculous but note the entire Cameroon, even the so-called Southern Cameroons was formed out of colonial imperial policies, different tribes never voted to be with each other together - be it the latter-day francophone villages or the the Anglophone villages. This entire artificial cultural split we witness today is a symptom of neocolonialism. Be careful not to find yourself unwillingly propagating it.
Posted by: Reex Flames | Wednesday, 13 May 2009 at 07:56 PM
Cameroon is supposed to be among the most enlightened nations in Africa. This ofcourse is a reflection of the extent of our awareness and understanding of the world. Cameroon is a knowledgeable country, which enjoys a relatively high literacy rate, and thus an enviable scope of educative culture.
However, readership is declining fast as people no longer seem to have the patience to read for fun. The more we read, the more words we encounter, and hence the better our vocabulary gets. That is the old maxim in the book! Therefore, the fact that some people find it hard to read my plain texts as they say, bespeaks the rather lackadaisical propensity that is obviously taking its toll on our literacy.
Mad African, i feel your frustration with respect to the injustice meted out on Africa by the colonial hoodlums. Ofcourse, a continent as endowed as Africa doesn't deserve this vicious punishment. When your neighbour always rocks more voluptuous chicks than you, ofcourse you want him strangled. That's it! It's all about envy. However, there's no better weapon of emancipation than knowledge as Reex suggested, and this has been the public advocacy of Rastafarians as we chant our famous Satta Massagana about African liberation.
We belong to a new era, we are children of a different generation, and as such we are trained to think in terms of limitless possibilities. Unlike our defeated parents, we are poised to bravely resist imperialist subjugation. Equipped with knowledge, we shall strive to become self-reliant, and hence spare Africa that notorious stigma of season beggars. I disapproved of Dambisa Moyo's stance, which suggested that Development Aid to Africa should cease. By contrast, we need everything that will enable African nation-states to become vibrant and sustainable economies.
Reex, remember this? 'Labour for learning before you grow old. For learning is better than silver or Gold. Silver, and Gold shall vanish, but learning shan't ever decay'! Powerful stuff we learnt back in the days. Yea, knowledge is the lifeblood of any fluorishing system. We have that! Nonetheless, WITHOUT the catalyst called VISION we can never plan in a suitable manner. And ofcourse, the knowledge will be like a golden ring on the nose of a pig!
Lastly, someone must hold that United Queendom of rats, and its allies for masterminding untold plunder in Africa, for brainwashing our ancestors, for dividing Africa, and making black people to dislike themselves. All of the Queendoms cunning pirates whom her Majesty and allies described as emissaries or explorers, notably; Christopher Columbus, Francis Drake, Ferdinand Margellan, Pirate Morgan, Marco Polo, Eugene Zintgraffe, Mongo Park etc, are all facing Jah wrath.
Africa shall rise!
Posted by: Ras Tuge | Thursday, 14 May 2009 at 09:07 AM