• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy

Democracy Chronicles

Cameroon to host Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2022 amidst conflict

by DC Editors - January 9, 2022

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin
Cameroon to host Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2022 amidst conflict
The stadium in Limbe, South West Region of Cameroon – Image source

Cameroon is set to host the Africa Cup of Nations 2022, with kickoff on January 9. The last time it hosted the event was in 1972. The competition has been presented to the Cameroonian public as a remarkable achievement of the regime. Paul Biya has always politicized football and long used the sport like the Roman Emperors used gladiator fights in the Colosseum, that is, to keep people unmindful of deeper social problems. Mark Cartwright states:

“Roman gladiator games were an opportunity for emperors and rich aristocrats to display their wealth to the populace, to commemorate military victories, mark visits from important officials, celebrate birthdays or simply to distract the populace from the political and economic problems of the day”. 

Cameroon is hosting the event amidst a devastating separatist conflict rocking its English-speaking regions of the North West and South West. What is surprising is that despite the security situation and the fact that Cameroon is not fully prepared to host, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) still awarded it the competition.

Some of the games will be held in the seaside town of Limbe in the South West Region. What is Cameroon’s capacity to ensure the security of the players? Are the separatists able to undermine the game? Why did the Confederation of African Football (CAF) allow Cameroon to host the game despite the security situation in the country and it not completing infrastructure?

Cameroon’s ‘Anglophone Conflict’

The conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, otherwise, “the Anglophone Conflict”, pits government forces against separatist fighters. The conflict started in 2017 when government forces violently attempted to suppress protests over the increasing use of English and French in Anglophone schools and courts.

The conflict, however, has deep historical roots. In 1961, the former Southern Cameroons coterminous with the North West and South West joined the Republic of Cameroun or La République du Cameroun (LRC) in what was to be an immutable Federation. The pioneer president of LRC, Ahmadou Ahidjo, abolished the Federation in 1972. Since then Anglophones or people of the former Southern Cameroonians have been treated as second-class citizens. Attempts to abolish all their institutions and wipe out the English language galloped under Paul Biya who came to power in 1982. The conflict is the zenith of pent-up anger over these issues and triggered by horrific repression of legitimate demands.

The military has been accused of burning whole villages in the conflict and killing civilians indiscriminately in these regions. It is also accused of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and targeting even babies and infants. Thousands of civilians have been arrested or killed extra-judicially by Cameroon’s military. Its scorched earth policy has resulted in a refugee crisis and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This approach has not ended the conflict. Its pursuit is only explained by Biya’s uncompromising nature and the guarantees he has from his international friends to keep the United States at bay. But it is an ineffective and counterproductive strategy. The separatists might have been killed in their thousands, their capacities largely undermined and the momentum slowing down but there is still strong resistance.

Cameroon’s capacity to secure the game

Paul Biya’s desire to maintain power has led him to capitalise on security, at the detriment of development and social cohesion. He has built for himself an impressive military by Third World standards with 14500 active personnel and a 10000-strong paramilitary force. The elite force, Rapid Intervention Batallion or Batallion d’Intervention Rapide in French and popularly known by its acronym, BIR, is well-equipped, ruthless and lethal.

Everything being equal, Cameroon, therefore, has the capacity to secure the game. Combat-ready troops have largely undermined separatist activity in Fako Division, where Limbe is. Limbe itself where the Rapid Intervention Batallion (BIR) has a large presence has increasingly become French-speaking because of the oil refinery. The refinery almost entirely hires Francophones even though the oil is Anglophone or Southern Cameroonian. This is what has driven the growing presence of Francophones in the town but also more anger from the separatists who do not want to see the games take place in Limbe.

Although responsibility for the outbreak of the conflict and its persistence lies squarely on the regime policies, the inability to squash it among other things is due to the evolution of separatist warfare capabilities. Recently, the armed factions in the Anglophone separatist movement are increasingly using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Therefore, despite Cameroon’s relatively impressive military outlook its capacity to secure the game, particularly in Limbe, will depend on how it will ensure that such IEDs are not planted and detonated. However, the separatists have been capable of inflicting damage on the army using these IEDS and some of the separatists have vowed to use them in Limbe to stop the competition from taking place.

“Confidence” and “optimism”

Cameroon was awarded the AFCON 2019 competition in 2014. This was to allow it enough time to prepare for the competition, including putting in place the required infrastructure. However, by 2019 Cameroon was not ready and was stripped of the hosting rights because of ““significant delay” with the building of stadiums and related infrastructure”. Paul Biya told the population that it was a simple “date slip”.

Yet, by the end of 2021, the infrastructure was still not ready with the Olembe Stadium meant to host the opening ceremony and match only near completion and several roads and hotel projects uncompleted. As the Confederation of African Football once more threatened to withdraw the game from Cameroon, Paul Biya dispatched the Secretary-General at the Presidency to meet with the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe who then made statements that meant the Confederation of African Football (CAF) would not withdraw the game from Cameroon.

On a subsequent visit to Cameroon in December, 2021, Patrice Motsepe then confirmed that Cameroon would be allowed to host the competition despite visibly uncompleted projects. Although the problem of insecurity has hardly been discussed by Patrice Motsepe, he argued for “confidence” and “optimism” in Africans being capable of organizing world-class competition.

Breathing more life into the “African way”

Although Mr. Motsepe was certainly referring to the problem of infrastructure when he spoke of “confidence” and “optimism”, Limbe will host some of the matches and the precarious security situation in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions cannot be ignored. We cannot have confidence and optimism that a high-level competition such as the African cup of nations can be organized amidst political instability and disgruntlement. Such an approach borders wantonness and breathes more life into the view that there is an “African” way of doing things and this is generally not meant in a good way. Sports is meant to unite a people and not stoke the flames of division. The confederation of African Football must maintain high ethical values. Outside infrastructure, other factors such as political stability and human rights records, or at the very least, the important steps being taken to improve the same should be taken into account when a country is being awarded the Africa Cup of Nations.

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

Filed Under: International Democracy Tagged With: Africa, Cameroon, Worldwide Corruption

About DC Editors

We are your source for news on the all important effort to establish and strengthen democracy across the globe. Our international team with dozens of independent authors are your gateway into the raging struggle for free and fair elections on every continent with a focus on election reform in the United States. See our Facebook Page and also follow us on Twitter @demchron.

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home | ALL NEWS | WORLD | Cameroon to host Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2022 amidst conflict

Primary Sidebar

Advertise button

A Dangerous Reprise Of American Exceptionalism In Ukraine

By Jamie Lampidis May 15, 2022

The stakes are too high to cave into Putin’s phantasmatic imperial play, and too high to believe that this war can be won by arming Ukrainians.

On The Coming End Of Roe v. Wade

By Peter J. Dellolio May 11, 2022

Anyone who says that the evolution of law has nothing to do with politics is either very corrupt or very stupid. Laws evolved through the centuries.

democracy chronicles newsletter

DC AUTHORS

Goodbye Roe v. Wade, Goodbye Rule Of Law

By Andrew Straw May 5, 2022

Congress should impeach judges who act like that because it is not good behavior, and they were asked not to act that way when they were confirmed.

PODCAST: Debating The Future Of Debates

By Jenna Spinelle May 4, 2022

We love a good debate — and have certainly had plenty of them on this show. But how effective are they in today’s media and political landscape?

What “Pro-Palestine” Student Groups Get Wrong

By David Anderson, J.D. May 3, 2022

Back then – as now – this fit into a “colonialist” narrative of European Jews oppressing Arabs – an easy, eye pleasing but intellectually lazy fit.

Examining Government As A “Necessary Evil”

By Gary Berton April 29, 2022

Thomas Paine defines government as separate from society, and indeed if society functioned perfectly there would be no need for government.

Ukrainian And Polish History: Fighting The Empires

By Maxim Sidorenko April 26, 2022

On February 24th, Russia started an unprovoked war against Ukraine. It has become one more attempt of the empire to demolish the Ukrainian state.

PODCAST: What Student Debt Says About Democratic Institutions

By Jenna Spinelle April 26, 2022

In a new book, Josh Mitchell draws alarming parallels to the housing crisis, showing the catastrophic consequences student debt has had on families.

Aging White Men Who Commit Voter Fraud Have Nothing To Fear

By Steve Schneider April 22, 2022

The sentences stand in contrast with the actions of the Governor who recently got the state legislature to create an election integrity police force.

MORE FROM OUR AUTHORS

VISIT OUR POLITICAL ART SECTION:

dc political art

DEMOCRACY CULTURE

Kenyan 'Cartooning For Peace' To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

Kenyan ‘Cartooning For Peace’ To Draw Africa Towards Democracy

May 17, 2022

Cartooning is an art that has been playing a major role in illustrating stories in different ways, from health to politics, and even sports.

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers' Anxiety, Even Online

Anxious Leaders Influence Their Followers’ Anxiety, Even Online

May 17, 2022

Organizational leader’s tweets can influence employee anxieties and this effect is more prominent since the rise of COVID-19, study.

North Korea Cracks Down On 'Capitalist' Pop Culture

North Korea Cracks Down On ‘Capitalist’ Pop Culture

May 6, 2022

North Korea has increased its campaign against “capitalist” style clothing, others, in broader crackdown on foreign pop culture.

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

May 6, 2022

Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo joined other celebrities making a final push for voters in Brazil to register to vote.

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

April 26, 2022

There are paper cups with eight different kinds of M&M near the entrance to Amalga Distillery in Juneau for a mock ranked choice vote.

MORE CULTURE

VISIT OUR US DEMOCRACY SECTION:

American Democracy