Cameroon’s conflict is part of a bigger trend: negotiations are losing ground to military solutions

📅 Published: August 19, 2025

📰 Source: theconversation

Curated by AllZimNews.com

With both sides of the civil war using education as a weapon, over 700,000 children have been forced out of school since 2017.

By October 2024, the conflict had resulted in more than 6,500 deaths and displaced over 584,000 people internally.

More than 73,000 have been forced to seek refuge in neighbouring Nigeria.

Yet Cameroon’s government has refused meaningful negotiations.

Though a key party to a conflict that remains unquestionably unresolved, Yaoundé insists that the situation is under control.

In practice, it has pursued a dual strategy of military repression paired with a façade of dialogue.

Behind the scenes, it has quietly stalled and derailed authentic efforts for peace.

Why has Yaoundé been able to avoid a peace settlement with so little international backlash?

I sought answers as part of my PhD research in mediation, focused on the conflict in Cameroon.

In an era of revived rivalry between great powers, Cameroon has learned to navigate and exploit the interests of competing global actors.

Western governments, eager to keep Cameroon within their sphere of influence and fearful of growing Russian and Chinese engagement, have not applied pressure for peace.

Pushing hard for negotiations would risk jeopardising relations with Yaoundé – an outcome western capitals are keen to avoid.