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The Struggle for an Independent State in Southern Cameroons: Measuring

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The Struggle for an Independent State in Southern Cameroons: Measuring The Struggle for an Independent State in Southern Cameroons: measuring the effectiveness of the Interim Government in mobilizing collective action Annelou Aartsen MSc. Conflict Resolution & Governance University of Amsterdam Supervisor: Dr. Floris Vermeulen Second reader: Maria Kranendonk 28 June 2019 The Struggle for an Independent State A. AARTSEN Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction - Research Structure Chapter 2 – Literature Review: Diaspora and Conflict - Diaspora - Diaspora and Conflict - Diaspora’s Practices of Engagement • The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam • Achenese Diaspora Chapter 3 – Theoretical FrameworK: Framing - Studying Social Movements • Framing • Discourse Analysis - Snow and Benford’s Collective Action Frames • The Core Framing Tasks § Diagnostic Framing § Prognostic Framing § Motivational Framing - Assessing the Effectiveness of Frames • Frame Resonance § Credibility § Salience • Contested Framing Processes • Contextual Constraints on Framing Efforts - Existing Framing Research Chapter 4 – A Multimethod Approach - Operationalization - Methods • History of the Anglophone Conflict • Collective Action Frames Cultivated by the Interim Government § Framing Analysing Technique • Strategies Employed by the Interim Government - Reflection on Research Chapter 5 – Results 5.1 History of the Anglophone Problem 2 The Struggle for an Independent State A. AARTSEN - Understanding the Root Causes of the Anglophone Problem • Historical Background • Decolonization and Independence • The Federal Republic of Cameroon • La République du Cameroun - Crisis in the Anglophone Regions • International Responses - The Interim Government and the Federal Republic of Ambazonia • The Creation of the Interim Government • The Structure and Functioning of the Interim Government • Governance Structure Interim Government • The Amba Peace Plan 5.2 Identifying the Frames Created by the Interim Government - Diagnostic Framing • Colonial Occupation: Identifying the Problem and Attributing Blame • The Genocide Frame - Prognostic Framing • Identifying a Solution • Specification of Targets § International Community § The Diaspora § Ground Zero - Motivational Framing • Severity of the Problem • Sense of Urgency • Propriety of Taking Action 5.3 Strategies to Reach Buea - Fundraising - Raising Public Awareness • The International Community § Advocacy § Lobbying • The Diaspora and Ground Zero - Regulating the War on the Ground from Abroad • Self-Defence • Boycotts • Ghost Towns - Hope • Ground Zero • The Diaspora • Social Media 3 The Struggle for an Independent State A. AARTSEN Chapter 6 – Assessing the Effectiveness of the Frames Cultivated by the IG - Reflecting on the Collective Action Frames • Frame Resonance § Empirical Credibility § Experiential Commensurability § Credibility of Frame MaKers • Contested Framing Processes § Frame Disputes § Responding to Frame Disputes Chapter 7 – Conclusion - Anglophone Struggle - Collective Action Frames of the Interim Government • Consensus Mobilization • Action Mobilization - Effectiveness of the Interim Government’s Collective Action Frames - Future Research - Reflections on Research Bibliography Appendix 4 The Struggle for an Independent State A. AARTSEN Chapter 1 - Introduction Currently between 450,000 and 550,000 persons from the North West and South West regions of Cameroon are displaced (CHRDA and Raoul Wallenberg, 2019). This makes the population of Cameroon the sixth largest displaced population of the world (CHRDA and Raoul Wallenberg, 2019). In January 2019, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 1,3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance (UN OCHA, 2019). These numbers do not merely result from the government’s conflict with Boko Haram in the far North of the country but are largely due to a current conflict between the English-speaking (Anglophone) and French-speaking (Francophone) regions in Cameroon. In October 2016 political and social tensions between the Anglophone and Francophone regions gave rise to massive protest and strikes of the Anglophone population. While protest started off peacefully, they have taken a violent turn and there has been a sharp escalation of serious violence, crime and human rights violations (CHRDA and Raoul Wallenberg, 2019). Over time, various groups, among which separatist groups, have emerged and are fighting French Cameroonian forces. On the 1st of October 2017, one of these Anglophone movements – led from the diaspora – has proclaimed the independence of the Anglophone regions under the name “Federal Republic of Ambazonia”. The self-proclaimed Federal Republic of Ambazonia is led by the Interim Government (IG) located in the diaspora. From the diaspora the Interim Government tries to influence conflict in its ‘homeland’ – also referred to as Southern Cameroons or ‘Ground Zero’. While working in exile, the Interim Government seeks to find movement sympathizers and ultimately establish and independent Southern Cameroonian state. To ensure independence of the Southern Cameroons the IG tries to incorporate both diaspora members and Anglophone Cameroonians located on the ground in its activities. Even though the conflict has taken a violent turn, the international community has stayed relatively silent and little is known about the current conflict and the role played by the Interim Government, in particular. Therefore, this research is devoted to the Interim Government and its efforts to establish the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. While the Interim Government is not the only Southern Cameroonian movement that has come into being, it will be the focus of this study because it is one of the key players that has influenced and sustained the war at home from abroad (International Crisis Group, 2018). In this research, the Interim Government will be studied as a social movement, which tries to mobilize collective action to achieve an 5 The Struggle for an Independent State A. AARTSEN independent state. There are various ways through which social movements have been studied in the past. Two common approaches to study social movements are a discourse analysis and a framing analysis. Whereas a discourse analysis stresses the structural constraints posed by a discourse on social movements actors, a framing analysis emphasizes the strategic role played by social movement actors and their ability to deliberately mobilize people. A framing analysis will be adopted to study the independence movement of the Interim Government, because it allows to elucidate the processes by which the IG seeks to mobilize support for its activities, and ultimately tries to establish independence (Gahan and Pekarek, 2013). Hence, it enables to identify the story that has been developed by the IG to mobilize movement adherents. In specific, Snow and Benford’s (1988) collective action framing theory will be used because it allows to identify the frames that have been developed by the IG and it also – as will be explained in more detail in the theoretical framework – offers tools to assess the effectiveness of these cultivated frames. Therefore, Snow and Benford’s theory enables this research to ultimately say something about the mobilization potential of the collective action frames nurtured by the Interim Government. With the aid of the collective action framing theory, this research will explore to what extent the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia is able to effectively frame the Anglophone conflict and thereby generate an independence movement? In order to shed light on this question this research will be divided into three sub-questions namely: 1) What is the history of the Anglophone conflict? 2) What collective action frames have been cultivated by the Interim Government? 3) What strategies, following the Interim Government’s collective action frames, have been employed by the Interim Government to establish independence? These questions ultimately allow us to shed light on the Interim Government’s effectiveness in mobilizing people to participate in the independence struggle. Research Structure To assess the extent to which the IG is able to effectively frame the Anglophone conflict and generate an independence movement, this study will start with a literature review which will explore the relevant concepts for this research, such as diaspora and collective identity. In addition, an overview of the existing academic debate on diasporas’ role in conflict will be provided and, lastly, this section will touch upon common strategies employed by diasporas to 6 The Struggle for an Independent State A. AARTSEN influence conflict at ‘home’.1 Secondly, the theoretical framework will be presented. In this section the framing theory of Snow and Benford (1988) shall be explored in further detail, which can then in subsequent sections be used to explore the collective action frames cultivated the Interim Government. Once this research has explored the framing theory of Snow and Benford, it will provide an oversight of the methodology adopted to conduct this research. It will touch upon the various types of data that are used to establish the IG’s collective action and to answer the other sub-questions. Additionally, it reflects on the limitations of the research and the data sample. Subsequently, chapter four will lay out the history of the Southern Cameroons and the creation of the Interim Government in order to understand the context in which the current conflict and the Interim Government has developed.
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