Southern Cameroons’ identity traces back to its distinct historical and legal background. After British administration ended, the region entered a disputed union with La République du Cameroun on 1 October 1961, following the controversial February 1961 plebiscite (UN Archives, 1961).
Over the decades, this identity has been threatened through forced centralisation, marginalisation of the English language, and erosion of common law traditions. The situation escalated in 2016, when the government attempted to deploy francophone teachers and magistrates to anglophone schools and courts in Buea, Kumba, Limbe, and Bamenda (International Crisis Group, 2017).
The SCNC has consistently defended this threatened identity through peaceful advocacy, community awareness, and international engagement. Despite repeated arrests such as SCNC leaders detained in Buea (2017) and Bamenda (2021) the movement survives both in Cameroon and the diaspora. In the United Kingdom, community meetings, peaceful protests, and campaigns continue to highlight human rights abuses back home.
Preserving Southern Cameroons’ identity is not rebellion it is a defence of history, dignity, and the right of a people to exist without fear. For many asylum seekers, this identity and association with SCNC creates a real and ongoing risk of persecution upon return.
References
•United Nations Archives. (1961). UN Plebiscite Records: British Cameroons.
•International Crisis Group. (2017). Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis at the Crossroads.
•Human Rights Watch. (2021). Cameroon: Ongoing Abuses in Anglophone Regions.
By Israel Fozoh Nkemanjong
