A Cameroonian opposition figure has dismissed proposals to create an Anglophone vice president as “cosmetic,” arguing that such a move would fail to resolve the country’s long-running Anglophone crisis.
Speaking in London on Thursday, April 9, 2026, Maitre Alex Ndive Lisinge, widely known as MaitreANL and leader of the British Cameroon National Party, said the roots of the conflict lie far deeper than representation in government.
Maitre Lisinge argued that proposals to appoint an Anglophone vice president risk misdiagnosing the crisis, which has affected Cameroon’s English-speaking regions for years. In his view, the challenge is structural rather than personal. “The issue is not who occupies office,” he said, “but the system within which that office operates.”
Central to his argument is the continued influence of France in Cameroon’s political and economic systems, a legacy he links to pre-independence arrangements. He pointed specifically to the Franco-Cameroon Cooperation Agreements, which he claims continue to shape governance in both Francophone and Anglophone regions.
According to him, these agreements have created what he describes as a “neo-colonial structural blockade,” limiting the autonomy of local leadership regardless of ethnicity or political alignment.
Expanding on this, Maitre Lisinge said that key state institutions remain tied to external frameworks. He criticized the structure of administration and justice, arguing that the central appointment of officials and the use of military courts for civilians weaken democratic accountability. He also pointed to the education system and public service, saying that institutions reflect imported models rather than local realities.
Economic policy, he argued, further illustrates the depth of the issue. Cameroon’s continued use of the Central African CFA franc, he said, places monetary control outside national hands, reinforcing dependency on external actors.
Maitre Lisinge also cited provisions within the 1959 agreements, which, he claimed, grant France influence over political orientation, educational direction, access to natural resources, and, in certain circumstances, military intervention. In his assessment, such arrangements mean that even significant political reforms within Cameroon would remain constrained.
The idea of appointing an Anglophone vice president has been floated in some political circles as a possible step toward addressing grievances in the English-speaking regions. However, Maitre Lisinge insists that such a move would not alter what he described as the “underlying architecture of control.” Without what he considers genuine sovereignty, he argued, even the creation of high-ranking positions would have a limited impact.
Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis, which began with protests over perceived marginalization, has since developed into a broader political and humanitarian challenge. While some observers support incremental reforms such as increased representation, others believe more fundamental structural changes are required.
Maitre Lisinge’s remarks reflect a growing strand of opinion among some opposition and diaspora groups, who argue that the crisis cannot be resolved solely through internal political adjustments. As debate continues, the effectiveness of proposals like an Anglophone vice presidency remains uncertain, with questions persisting over whether such measures can address the deeper causes of unrest.
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