20 | The Lion King
1884.
After World War I, the terri-
tory was divided between
France and Britain as League
of Nations mandates. The Union
des Populations du Cameroun
(UPC) political party advocat-
ed independence, but was
outlawed by France in the 1950s.
It waged war on French and
UPC militant forces until 1971.
In 1961 the southern part of the
British territory joined the new
Federal Republic of Cameroon
and the northern section voted
for unification with Nigeria. The
President of Cameroon since
independence, Ahmadou
Ahidjo was replaced in 1982 by
the Prime Minister, Paul Biya.
With the expansion of oil,
timber, and coffee exports,
the economy has continued to
improve, although corruption is
prevalent, and environmental
degradation remains a concern.
In June 2000 the World Bank
agreed to provide more than
$200 million to build a $3.7 billion
pipeline connecting the oil fields
in neighboring Chad with the
Cameroon coast. In Aug. 2006
Nigeria turned over the disputed
oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to
Cameroon.
Cameroon’s population is
estimated at 20 mln people.
The major ethnic groups are
Cameroon Highlanders 31%,
Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%,
Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu
8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other
African 13%, non-African less
than 1%.
Economy:
Cameroon’s real economic
growth is estimated at 5.4% for
2013, driven by a recovery in the
oil sector and a rise in agricul-
tural production.
According to IMF growth will
need to be maintained at a
higher level for Cameroon to
reach its middle income status
by 2035 hence her reason for
pressurizing the government to
drop petrol subsidies.
Higher growth in 2012 risks
generating a 2.4% increase in
inflation, but it will still be below
the 3% limit set by the Central
African Economic and Monetary
Community (CEMAC). It should
be noted that this is one of
the 4 criteria for country risk
assessment by Central Bank.
Cameroon currently has a 0%
country risk weighting which is
the best in the CEMAC region.
Overall, the oil output will rise
from an estimated 66,000
barrels/day (b/d) in 2012 to just
over 96,000 b/d in 2017.
The oil sector’s contribution to
GDP could be even higher if a
planned refinery in Kribi kicks off
production before 2015.
Credit to the Economy rose by
2.6%. Various efforts aimed at
boosting the economy at various
levels include a World Bank loan
of $100million to Cameroon to
finance agric projects. This is
aimed at boosting output and
creating job opportunities in
the agric sector which employs
about 80% of Cameroon’s active
population.
The Kribi Seaport is Cameroon’s
main infrastructure that will
allow the export of minerals and
industrialization. Two special-
ized terminals-multipurpose
and container-will be created:
The construction of this port by
the Chinese company, China
Harbour Engineering Company
(Chec) is underway. The first
ship would dock at the port by
2014. But other specific terminals
will be developed as from 2015.
These terminals include alumi-
num, oil, alumina, ore, liquefied
natural gas, etc.
According to Louis Paul Motaze,
Chairman of the Steering
Committee of the Kribi indus-
trial port complex, “the port
which will be used to export
large masses of minerals found
in Cameroon (iron, bauxite
and natural gas in particular)
and import raw materials for
local industries, will be a real
lever to the industrialization of
Cameroon and the competitive-
ness of its products.” This port will
thus enable miners to ship their
ore overseas.
CULTURE:
Cameroon has distinct regional
cultural, religious, and politi-
cal traditions as well as ethnic
variety. The division of the
country into British and French
ruled League of Nations
mandates after World War
I created Anglophone and
Francophone regions. The
English-speaking region consists
of the Southwest and Northwest
provinces, where Pidgin English
is the lingua franca and English
is taught in school. The educa-
tional system and legal practices
derive from those of England.
The French-speaking region
consists of the remaining eight
regions, where French is the
lingua franca, the French school
system is used, and the legal
system is based on the statutory
law of continental Europe.
The English-speaking region is
divided into two cultural regions.
The Grassfields peoples of the
Northwest Province consist of
nearly one hundred chiefdoms
each ruled by a divine king
(fon) . Most of these chiefdoms
have patrilineal or dual descent
kinship systems, although some
groups, such as the Kom, are
matrilineal. Polygyny and fertil-
ity are important cultural values,
although this varies by wealth
and education. The social
organization and culture of the
Grassfielders are closely related
to those of the French-speaking
Bamiléké peoples of the Western
province.
The peoples of the Southwest
province had less hierarchical
systems of governance and
social organization. The British
appointed warrant chiefs to
aid their colonial rule, and in
many instances the population
rallied behind those chiefs in the
postcolonial period. The peoples
of the Southwest province
include the Bakweri, who live
along the slopes of Mount
Cameroon.
In the French-speaking area,
the largely Muslim north is cultur-
ally distinct from the largely
Christian and animist south. The
northern area includes three
regions: Adamawa, North, and
Far North culturally dominated
by the Fulani. Urban Fulani are
renowned as clerics in the Sunni
branch of Islam. Most Fulani are
cattle herders. An important
subgroup are the Bororo, noted
Country Focus
