EUROPEAN COLONIALISM IN CAMEROON AND ITS AFTERMATH, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE SOUTHERN CAMEROON, 1884-2014 BY WONGBI GEORGE AGIME P13ARHS8001 BEING A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS (MA) DEGREE IN HISTORY SUPERVISOR PROFESSOR SULE MOHAMMED DR. JOHN OLA AGI NOVEMBER, 2016 i DECLARATION I hereby declare that this Dissertation titled: European Colonialism in Cameroon and its Aftermath, with Special Reference to the Southern Cameroon, 1884-2014, was written by me. It has not been submitted previously for the award of Higher Degree in any institution of learning. All quotations and sources of information cited in the course of this work have been acknowledged by means of reference. _________________________ ______________________ Wongbi George Agime Date ii CERTIFICATION This dissertation titled: European Colonialism in Cameroon and its Aftermath, with Special Reference to the Southern Cameroon, 1884-2014, was read and approved as meeting the requirements of the School of Post-graduate Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for the award of Master of Arts (MA) degree in History. _________________________ ________________________ Prof. Sule Mohammed Date Supervisor _________________________ ________________________ Dr. John O. Agi Date Supervisor _________________________ ________________________ Prof. Sule Mohammed Date Head of Department _________________________ ________________________ Prof .Sadiq Zubairu Abubakar Date Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. iii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to God Almighty for His love, kindness and goodness to me and to the memory of Reverend Sister Angeline Bongsui who passed away in Brixen, in July, 2012. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My endless gratitude goes to my supervisors, Professor Sule Mohammed and Dr. John Ola Agi who devoted their time to supervise this work. Without their meaningful and constructive criticisms, this work would have been a sham. I sincerely appreciate their efforts in directing me to complete the work. May God grant them more knowledge and wisdom to lead and guide other students under their supervision the same way they led and guided me. My profound gratitude goes to my benefactors, who were always with me in good and bad times. Without their input which came from the bottom of their hearts, this work would not have been completed. May the Almighty God grant them long life, strengthen their efforts and continue to replenish their pockets, to continue their work of philanthropy for the sake of humanity. I also want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Banye Patrick, Dr. Hanatu Alahira, Professor and Mrs. Enoch Oyedele, Mr. Toure Kazah Toure, Professor Muhammadu Mustapha Gwadabe, for all they have done for me. May God guide and protect them, in all their undertakings. My uncle, Mr. Tobias Ndze Wongbi and wife, are not forgotten. I thank them for who they are to me. My sincere appreciation also goes to Mr. Samuel Alfred who rendered the selfless service in typing the manuscripts, Mr. Mola Njoh Litumbe for his objective and intellectual contributions, Professor Fanso Verkijika Gerald and Dr. Anthony Ndi (Associate Professor) for their meaningful contributions and whose books contributed so much in the writing of this dissertation. I also appreciate the Capuchin Fathers in Buea who hosted me during the research. My appreciation also goes to the Lecturers of the Department of History, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. They all contributed to the knowledge I have today. History is all about change and it is this change that we need in every society for its growth and development. It is not v static. It is this change that I have to carry everywhere I go for progress. I thank them immensely for everything. I also appreciate the efforts and patience of the staff of the National Archives Buea (NAB) in Cameroon where the research was largely conducted. I thank them all especially Pa Primus and Mrs. Mary Benita Lamnyuy who spent considerable time even after office hours sorting out files for me. My sincere appreciation goes to the staff of Arewa House, Centre for Historical Research and Documentation,Kaduna (AHCHRDK), for their prompt assistance in providing the files I needed. I thank most especially the Director of Arewa House, Professor Abdulkadir Adamu, for the hospitality he showed me in Arewa House. The Northern History Research Scheme (NHRS) provided valuable books that were used in building this work. It was also where the work was compiled. I appreciate the kind gesture of the library staff of NHRS, Mallam Mohammed Muazu, Mrs. Sarah Toyiring and Mallam Salihu Sulaiman Usman. I also appreciate the staff of Undergraduate Library, History Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, who were always there to assist me in sorting out books for my use. They include Mallam Haruna Mohammed, Ramatu Mohammed and others. Finally, I appreciate the readiness and collaboration of my research assistants in Bamenda, Bafoussam, Kumbo, Nkambe, Yaounde, Kumba, Bakassi, Tiko, Limbe, Douala and Buea, in the conduct of this research. vi ABBREVIATIONS ABA Anglophone Bar Association ABU Ahmadu Bello University AAC All Anglophone Conference AHCHRDK Arewa House Centre for Historical Research and Documentation, Kaduna AM Ambazonia Movement BIR Brigade Intervention Rapide (Rapid Intervention Force) BMM Brigade Mixte Mobile (Mobile Mixed Intervention) CAM Cameroon Anglophone Movement CAMTEL Cameroon Telecommunications CAT Cameroon Air Transport CCC Cameroon Commoners Congress CDC Cameroon Development Corporation CDMPS Coordination for Democracy and Multi-party Systems CEMAC Centre Economique Monetaire de l’Afrique Centrale (Central African Monetary and Economic Union) CFA Communaute Financiere Africaine (African Financial Community) CNF Cameroon National Federation CNU Cameroon National Union CPDM Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement CRTV Cameroon Radio and Television Corporation D.O. Divisional Officer DC Democrate Camerounaise (Cameroon Democrat) vii ELECAM Elections Cameroon FM Frequency Modulation FWCM Free West Cameroon Movement GCE General Certificate of Education GDP Gross Domestic Product IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development INEC Independent National Election Commission KNC Kamerun National Congress KNDP Kamerun National Democratic Party KPP Kamerun Peoples Party KPP Kamerun Peoples Party KUNC Kamerun United National Congress KUP Kamerun United Party LRC La Republique du Cameroon MDR Mouvement Democratique de la Republiques (Democratic Republican Movement) MNCA Ministry for Northern Cameroon Affairs MSD Mouvement Social pour la Democratic (Social Democratic Movement) NAB National Archives Buea NCNC National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (It was later changed to National Council of Nigerian Citizens when Southern Cameroons broke away). NEO National Election Observatory viii NA Native Authority NHRS Northern History Research Scheme NKDP Northern Kamerun Democratic Party NPF National Police Force PAMOL Perseverance and Management of Life PSC Partie Socialiste Camerounais (Cameroon Socialist Party) PSO Plebiscite Supervisory Official PTC Partie Travailliste Camerounais (Cameroon Workers Party) RIF Radio France Internationale SCAPO Southern Cameroons Peoples Organization SCARM Southern Cameroons Restoration Movement SCIRC Southern Cameroons Independence Restoration Movement SCNC Southern Cameroons National Council SCYL Southern Cameroons Youth League SDF Social Democratic Front SDO Senior Divisional Officer SG Secretary General SOCALIM Southern Cameroons Liberation Movement SONARA Societe Nationale de Raffinage (National Refining Company) UDC Union Democratique Camerounais (Cameroon Democratic Union) UK United Kingdom UNDP Union Nationale Pour la Democratieet le Progress (National Union for Democracy and Progress) ix URC United Republic of Cameroon USA United States of America WADA Wum Area Development Authority x GLOSSARY ENGLISH FRENCH Africa Afrique African Africain(e) Community Communaute Financial Financiere Republic Republique Federal Republic Republique Federal Subject Sujet xi LIST OF MAPS Map 1: Map of Cameroon Showing Southern Cameroon - - - - 22 Map II: The Southern Cameroon - - - - - - - 23 Map III: German Cameroon - - - - - - - 24 xii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Number of Enrolment in German Mission Schools, 1913. - - 75 Table 2 Banana Exports from the Southern Cameroon 1961 - - - 84 Table 3: Estimated Coffee Out-put from Bamenda, 1947-1962 - - 84 Table 4: Breakdown of Species of Timber Exported during the Month of May, 1961, from Victoria and Kumba. - - - - 85 Table 5: January 1959 General Election Results - - - - 105 Table 6: The Plebiscite Results in Northern Cameroon 1959 and 1961 - 121 Table 7: Plebiscite Results in Southern Cameroon, 1961 - - - 124 xiii Appendices Appendix I: Federal Republic of Cameroon Constitution - - - - 202 Appendix II: Southern Cameroons Plebiscite 1961, The Two Alternatives - 203 Appendix III: Open Letter to the United Nations Secretary-General by Paul Abine- 204 Appendix IV: Resolutions made at the Inaugural All Cameroon Common Law Lawyers’ Conference Held at Bamenda in the North West Region of Cameroon- - - - - - - 205 Appendix V: Mr. Mola Njoh Litumbe’s Letter from the Minister of Higher Education 206 Appendix VI: Photograph of Mr. Mola Njoh Litumbe - - - 207 Appendix VII: Accident of a Trailer Carrying Timber between Akak and Osing villages in Manyu