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University Students' Revolt, Ethnic Militia, and Violence during Political Liberalization in Cameroon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2014

Piet Konings
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Abstract:

The political liberalization process in Cameroon was marked by protracted strike actions on the campus of the University of Yaounde during the period 1990–96. Political liberalization provided space for students to organize and voice their multiple grievances about the poor living and study conditions on campus as well as the process of “institutional liberalization,” which blocked their pursuit of upward mobility. The unprecedented degree of violence that accompanied the protracted strikes may be attributed not only to the persistent refusal of the university authorities and the regime to enter into any meaningful form of dialogue with the students, but also to the internal divisions among the students along party and ethnoregional lines. The mayor lines of division were between two groups: the “stranger” students organized in the Students' Parliament and closely allied to the radical opposition; and the “autochthonous” Beti students organized in the Committee for Self-Defense and the Beti milida and closely allied to the regime in power. In their fight with Parliament, the latter groups resorted to violent forms of ethnic exclusion to reestablish control over what they considered to be their university and to maintain their regime in power.

Résumé:

Résumé:

Le processus de libéralisation politique du Cameroun fut marqué par des mouvements de grève prolongés sur le campus de l'université de Yaoundé pendant la période allant de 1990 à 1996. La libéralisation politique offrit un espace aux étudiants pour se syndiquer et pour formuler leurs multiples doléances à l'égard des mauvaises conditions de vie et d'études sur le campus, ainsi qu'à l'égard du processus de « libéralisation institutionnelle » qui bloquait leur désir d'ascension sociale. Le degré de violence sans précédent qui accompagna ces longues grèves peut être attribué non seulement au refus persistant des autorités universitaires et du régime de se lancer dans toute forme positive de dialogue avec les étudiants, mais aussi aux divisions internes entre étudiants le long des lignes de parti et des lignes ethnorégionales. Les principales lignes de division se formèrent entre deux groupes: les étudiants « étrangers » se syndiquèrent avec le Parlement des étudiants et se rapprochèrent de l'opposition radicale; les étudiants « autochtones » de Beti, quant à eux, se syndiquèrent avec le Comité pour l'autodéfense (Committee for Self-Defense) et avec la milice de Beti, et se rapprochèrent considérablement du régime au pouvoir. Dans leur bataille contre le Parlement, ces derniers recoururent à des formes violentes d'exclusion edinique afin de rétablir le contrôle sur ce qu'ils considéraient être leur université et de maintenir leur régime au pouvoir.

Type
Research Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 45 , Issue 2: African Universities in Crisis and the Promotion of a Democratic Culture , September 2002 , pp. 179 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2002

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