African State And Society In The 1990s: Cameroon's Political Crossroads

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African State and Society in the 1990s

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African State and

Society in the 1990s Cameroon's Political Crossroads

Joseph Takougang

and Milton Krieger

WestviewPress

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright © 1998 by Westview Press, A Member of the Perseus Books Group Published in 1998 in the United States of America by Westview Press, 5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80301-2877, and in the United Kingdom by Westview Press, 12 Hid's Copse Road, Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9JJ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Takougang, Joseph. African state and society in the 1990s: Cameroon's political crossroads / by Joseph Takougang and Milton Krieger. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 0-8133-3428-4 (hc)—ISBN 0-8133-3895-6 (pb)

1. Cameroon—Politics and government—1981Cameroon. I. Krieger, Milton. II. Title. JQ3525T35 1998 320.96711—dc21

2. Democracy— 97-43832 CIP

The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1984. 10

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To the Takougang and Krieger families

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Contents Illustrations Acronyms Acknowledgments Preface: The Research Setting, Methodology, and Theory Introduction: Cameroon's State and Society in African Context

ix xi xiii xv

1

A Metaphor for Africa in the 1990s, 1 Cameroon in Africa, 1960s-1990s: A Synopsis, 3 1

Scholarship on the African and Cameroon State

13

State-Civil Society Scholarship in the 1990s, 16 The Cameroon Scholarship, 22 The Questions Ahead, 27 2

Ahidjo and the Single-Party State, 1958-1982

35

The Emergence of Ahmadou Ahidjo, 36 The Years of Trial, 1958-1962, 37 Creating a Single-Party State, 1962–1966, 44 From Single Party to United Republic, 1966–1972,47 Ahidjo's Presidential Monarchy, 1972-1982, 50 3

Biya's Early Presidency, 1982-1986

63

From Ahidjo to Biya: The Transfer of Power, 1982, 63 Disputed Succession and Legacy: Ahidjo and Biya, 1983-1984, 66 The New Deal: Aspiration, Compromise, and Reality, 76 4

The State Under Pressure, 1986–1990 Failed Promises and the Illusion of Reforms, 90 Cameroon's Declining Economy, 97 Global Politics and Domestic Demands for Reform, 102

vii

89

viii

5

Contents

Crisis Years, 1991-1992

115

The Press, 117 Opposition Challenge and Regime Response to Mid-1991, 123 Villes Mortes/Ghost Towns, Mid-Late 1991, 126 Political Parties and Mounting Tensions, 131 The Balance of Forces, Late 1991, 139 Legislative Electoral Test, Early 1992, 142 Presidential Electoral Test, Late 1992, 146 6

Impasse, 1993-1997

159

Party and Institutional Politics: The Early 1993 Profile, 160 Regional and Ethnic Polities, 1993–1997: Anglophones, 161 Regional and Ethnic Politics, 1993–1997: The North, 169 Regional and Ethnic Politics Miscellany, 1993–1997, 180 Constitutional Debate and Action, 182 Institutional, Electoral, and Party Politics, 1995–1997,194 7

Cameroon and the Prospects for Democratization

217

Disarray in the Political Class: Principals and Auxiliaries, 219 An Alternative Political Class? 228 Emergent Social Experience, Formations, and Alignments, 231 Foreign Factors, 241 Conclusion, 243 Appendix Bibliography Index

251 255 271

Illustrations Map of Contemporary Cameroon. Newspaper Kiosk, Bamenda, 1995. Douala, June 27, 1991: The Response to President Paul Biya's "Sans Objet" Speech. John Fru Ndi, Chairman, Social Democratic Front. A Bamenda Rally Begins, July 1991. Maigari Bello Bouba, President, National Union for Democracy and Progress. Adamou Ndam Njoya, President, Cameroon Democratic Union. Display of the Federation Flag, Bamenda, 1992. Blockade Against Security Forces During Bamenda's State of Emergency, November 1992. Attack on John Fru Ndi, Yaounde, November 3, 1993. John Fru Ndi Mediating Village Boundary Dispute, North West Province, mid-1995. The SDF Cavalcade, Maroua Party Congress, May 1995. John Fru Ndi with Commonwealth Delegation, Yaounde, 1995.

ix

xix 122 126 129 130 133 134 144 151 196 202 205 220

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Acronyms

AAC ALUCAM ARC-SNC BCD EMM CAM CAMAIR CBA CDC CDF CDP CDU CENER CFA CFDT CND CPDM CPNC CRATRE CRTV CUC DC DIRDOC FAC FPUP GATT IMF ISH KNDP LAVANET

All Anglophone Conference Société Aluminium du Cameroun Alliance for the Reconstruction of Cameroon-Sovereign National Conference Banque Camerounaise de Développement Brigades Mixtes Mobiles Cameroon Anglophone Movement Cameroon Airlines Cameroon Bar Association Cameroon Development Corporation Cameroon Democratic Front Cameroon Democratic Party Cameroon Democratic Union Centre National des Etudes et des Recherches CommunautéFinanciére Africaine Compagnie Française pour le Développement des Fibres Textiles Centre National de Documentation Cameroon People's Democratic Movement Cameroon Peoples National Convention Cercle de Réflexion et d'Action pour le Triomphe du Renouveau Cameroon Radio and Television Cameroon United Congress Démocrates Camerounais Direction Generate des Etudes et de la Documentation Front of Allies for Change Front Populaire Pour I'Unité et la Paix General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade International Monetary Fund I'Institutdes Sciences Humai Kamerun National Democratic Party National Veterinary Laboratory xi

Xii

MANC MDR MINAT MP NCDM NCOPA NDI NUDP NUCW OAU OCALIP PDC PI SAP SCB

SCNC SCPC SDECE SODECOTON SEDOC

SDF SMIC

SNBC

SNC

SNI SONARA SONEL SOPECAM SOTUC

uc

UFC UPC USAID

Acronyms

Mouvement d'Action Nationale Camerounaise Movement for the Defence of the Republic Ministry of Territorial Administration Mouvement Progressiste National Coordination for Democracy and a Multiparty System National Coordination of Opposition Parties and Association National Democratic Institute for International Affairs National Union for Democracy and Progress National Union of Cameroon Workers Organization of African Unity I/Organization Camerounaise pour la Liberte de la Presse Parti des Democrates Camerounais Paysans Independents Structural Adjustment Program Society Camerounaise de Banque Southern Cameroons National Council Southern Cameroons Peoples Conference Service de Documentation Ext6rieure et de ContreEspionage Society de DeVeloppement du Coton Service des Etudes et de la Documentation Social Democratic Front Societe" Mobiliere d'Investissement du Cameroun Societe Nationale des Eaux du Cameroun Sovereign National Conference National Investment Society Societe Nationale de Raffinage Societe Nationale dTjleetricM Cameroon Press and Publishing Company Soci