Prof. Willibroad Dze-Ngwa, the Professor of Political History and International Relations at the University of Yaoundé I, has called for a credible national political dialogue to address the root causes of Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis, warning that community-level consultations alone cannot deliver a lasting solution to the conflict.
In an analysis published on Sunday, October 18, 2026, he argues that while community dialogue is essential for rebuilding trust and resolving local disputes, the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions requires negotiations capable of addressing broader questions of political identity, historical grievances, constitutional arrangements and the distribution of power.
In his article, titled “Community Dialogue Cannot Resolve the Anglophone Conflict: Why Cameroon Needs National Political Dialogue,” Prof. Dze-Ngwa distinguishes between efforts to manage the effects of the conflict and measures aimed at resolving its underlying causes. He maintains that traditional rulers, religious leaders, local administrators and community representatives can contribute significantly to peacebuilding but cannot independently negotiate national constitutional arrangements or determine the future distribution of political authority.
“Community dialogue is indispensable to peacebuilding, but it cannot, on its own, resolve the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon,” he writes.
Historical grievances at the heart of the crisis
Prof. Dze-Ngwa traces the Anglophone conflict to Cameroon’s historical and political development, particularly the separate administration of British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroun, their reunification in 1961 and the subsequent transformation of the federal system into a unitary state in 1972.
He says the crisis encompasses concerns about the protection of Anglophone linguistic, educational, legal, cultural and political identity, alongside grievances relating to marginalization, political representation and decentralization. Over the years, the dispute has escalated into armed confrontation, resulting in civilian casualties, displacement, disrupted education, damaged livelihoods and widespread insecurity.
The professor argues that these issues cannot be adequately addressed through local meetings because their resolution involves decisions at the national political and institutional levels. He also cautions against treating Anglophones as a single political constituency with identical aspirations. While some favour federalism or greater regional autonomy, others support the existing decentralization framework, and some advocate separatist independence.
According to him, a credible peace process must recognize these differences and provide meaningful opportunities for relevant stakeholders to present and discuss their positions.
Why community dialogue has its limits
The professor acknowledges that community dialogue can produce tangible results, particularly in areas where the conflict has weakened relationships and disrupted everyday life. Local consultations can help resolve land disputes, settle disagreements involving traditional authorities, ease tensions between farmers and pastoralists, reconcile divided families and facilitate cooperation over access to resources.
They can also support the reopening of schools and markets, the restoration of essential services, trauma healing and the safe return of displaced people where conditions permit. However, Prof. Dze-Ngwa warns that such achievements may not endure if the wider political and security conditions remain unresolved.
An agreement to reopen a school, for instance, cannot guarantee its continued operation if threats persist. Similarly, the return of displaced families requires security, livelihoods and protection of property. He also rejects the idea that reconciliation should simply involve encouraging affected communities to forgive one another without addressing their grievances or concerns about justice.
For him, community peacebuilding must be connected to a wider political process that can address issues beyond the authority of local institutions.
Questions of constitutional reform and political representation
Prof. Dze-Ngwa identifies constitutional arrangements, bilingualism, regional representation and the distribution of state powers as among the major issues requiring national political engagement. He notes that Cameroon’s existing decentralization framework and the special status granted to the Northwest and Southwest Regions form part of the government’s response to the crisis. However, he argues that continuing violence raises questions about whether existing measures have sufficiently addressed the underlying disagreements.
The professor points to the Major National Dialogue held in Yaoundé in September and October 2019, which produced recommendations on decentralization, bilingualism, education, the judiciary, reconstruction, displaced populations and the reintegration of former combatants.
Subsequent developments included regional assemblies, Public Independent Conciliators and institutional arrangements associated with the special status of the two regions.
While acknowledging these measures, he argues that recommendations and institutional reforms do not automatically translate into a comprehensive political settlement. He says Cameroon must assess whether the measures adopted have addressed affected populations’ concerns, whether relevant stakeholders regard the process as legitimate and whether implementation has generated sufficient confidence.
Prof. Dze-Ngwa insists that constitutional questions require political solutions and that community meetings cannot replace the national institutions and negotiations needed to reach binding agreements.
A two-track approach to peace
To address the crisis, Prof. Dze-Ngwa proposes a two-track strategy combining community peacebuilding with national political dialogue. The first track would strengthen local initiatives aimed at reconciliation, resolving community disputes, supporting displaced populations, restoring essential services and preventing local disagreements from escalating into violence. Traditional rulers, religious leaders, women, young people, civil society organizations, local authorities and affected communities would play central roles in these efforts.
The second track would establish a credible national political process to examine the unresolved issues sustaining the conflict. Among the subjects he identifies for discussion are the history of reunification, constitutional arrangements, bilingualism, political representation, security, disarmament, justice, displacement, reconstruction and the participation of the diaspora.
He also calls for clear implementation mechanisms, including defined responsibilities, timelines, monitoring arrangements and procedures for addressing non-compliance. According to the professor, the objective should be to move beyond conferences and consultations towards a process capable of producing practical, verifiable and sustainable outcomes.
No taboo subjects in national dialogue
Prof. Dze-Ngwa argues that a credible national dialogue must allow difficult and politically sensitive issues to be discussed without predetermining the outcome. He says advocates of federalism, regional autonomy, existing decentralization arrangements and other constitutional proposals should be able to present their positions and examine their implications for national unity, democratic governance and citizens’ rights.
Those defending the existing constitutional order should likewise explain how it can address the grievances raised and provide credible guarantees for peaceful coexistence. The professor stresses that allowing different positions to be heard does not mean accepting every demand or committing Cameroon to a particular constitutional arrangement.
Rather, he says, negotiations should provide a legitimate framework for examining competing proposals and pursuing a settlement guided by justice, security, democratic representation and sustainable peace. He also maintains that no single organization or individual should be presumed to represent the entire population of the Northwest and Southwest Regions.
A credible process, he argues, must ensure broad representation and give participants a meaningful opportunity to influence decisions.
Political will remains decisive
The professor identifies political will as a critical factor in determining whether dialogue can produce lasting results.
He argues that organizing meetings and making declarations in support of peace are insufficient if participants are unwilling to address difficult issues or implement agreed measures.
While the government has a particular responsibility to use its constitutional authority to facilitate a credible political opening, Prof. Dze-Ngwa says other stakeholders must also demonstrate a willingness to negotiate. Separatist actors and other political stakeholders, he argues, must be prepared to engage, protect civilians, respect applicable law and consider alternatives to violence.
He also calls for appropriate channels to engage armed actors in efforts to move away from violence while safeguarding civilian populations. International partners could support mediation, confidence-building, technical assistance and implementation where appropriate.
For the professor, the challenge is to move from managing the conflict’s consequences to negotiating a sustainable political settlement.
Lessons from other peace processes
Prof. Dze-Ngwa draws lessons from South Africa, Northern Ireland and Colombia, where national negotiations played important roles in addressing deep political divisions and armed conflict. South Africa’s transition from apartheid involved negotiations over political participation, constitutional arrangements and democratic governance.
In Northern Ireland, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement established arrangements addressing constitutional status, power-sharing, rights and political institutions. Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement between the government and the FARC-EP addressed issues including rural reform, political participation, the transition from armed struggle and transitional justice.
The professor acknowledges that these experiences cannot be transferred directly to Cameroon because the countries have different histories and political circumstances. However, he argues that they demonstrate the importance of national negotiations in addressing structural political disagreements, alongside community participation in reconciliation and implementation.
A call for a sustainable political settlement
Prof. Dze-Ngwa concludes that Cameroon must distinguish between community reconciliation and the political negotiations required to resolve the Anglophone crisis. He maintains that local dialogue can rebuild trust, repair damaged relationships and strengthen peaceful coexistence, but cannot independently settle disagreements over constitutional arrangements, political identity and the distribution of state power.
He therefore urges Cameroon to pursue community peacebuilding and national political engagement as complementary processes, supported by a genuine commitment to implementing negotiated outcomes. He says progress should be measured not by the number of meetings organized but by improvements in civilian safety, the resolution of grievances, the advancement of political negotiations and the implementation of agreements.
The ultimate objective, according to the professor, should be to create conditions in which citizens can pursue their political aspirations peacefully without resorting to violence. He argues that a lasting solution will require a peace process that addresses the causes of the conflict rather than merely managing its consequences.
About the author
Professor Willibroad Dze-Ngwa is a Professor of Political History and International Relations, specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies, at the University of Yaoundé I. He is the founding president of the Heritage Higher Institute of Peace and Development Studies (HEHIPEDS).
His academic work includes research into the historical foundations of Cameroon’s Anglophone Problem, national unity, governance, conflict transformation and peacebuilding. He began examining the historical roots of the Anglophone question in his 1996 master’s dissertation and later explored national identity and postcolonial integration in his doctoral thesis.
He has held international academic appointments, including a Senior Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence position at Savannah State University in the United States in 2011–2012. His professional experience also includes work on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration with the Global Center on Cooperative Security and the International Organization for Migration in Cameroon.
His research interests include reconciliation, democratic governance, humanitarian action, human rights, displacement and sustainable peace and development.
#Laarry Times
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