Missed or misused opportunity? Social cohesion, national dialogue and peacebuilding in Cameroon

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper uses the multidimensional aspects of social cohesion which comprises different elements of trust, equality, inclusion, and participation, to show how political actors can impede efforts to foster social cohesion in conflict affected societies. It identifies key opportunities that were either missed or misused by elites during the national dialogue process intended to resolve Cameroon's Anglophone crisis. Historically, the relationship between elites and the Anglophone population in Cameroon has been characterised by fragile social cohesion due to marginalisation experienced in Anglophone communities. The actions and power-preserving efforts of elites have exacerbated inequalities, political exclusion and mistrust, thereby affecting social cohesion. Based on field observation, semi-structured interviews and secondary data, this paper identifies and analyses five scenarios where Anglophone elites could have acted differently to enhance social cohesion, but failed to do so. Rather, their actions towards the population further weakened social cohesion and facilitated the instrumentalisation of the 2019 national dialogue in Cameroon. Considering the unique characteristics of this case, future dialogue processes, especially those addressing marginalisation concerns, should prioritize strengthening social cohesion and refrain from overlooking its relevance by merely treating it as a desired outcome of a dialogue process.