The Federal Solution Versus Nationalist Consciousness: A Neo-Fundamental National Question in Cameroon

ABSTRACT The federal issue versus a growing nationalist consciousness is today, the flash-point in the body-polity of the Cameroon state. The agony of the Cameroon question, is compounded by the endless uncertainty, as to whether there would ever be an end to it or not. This paper therefore, attempts to define and examine the dicey ‘national question' issue in Cameroon, through a methodical foray of the Cameroon policy environment, from 1960 to date. It equally carried field observation of the actions and inactions of relevant political actors. It argues that, the ‘national question' is related more to the dynamics of creation and the evolutionary process of the state. As a result, the political process has been truncated and/or torpedoed by the prevailing mode of governance which is anchored more on bureaucratic totalitarianism. It opines that the unitary form of government which Cameroon is currently running constitutes a real threat to national unity in a bicultural context as obtains in the country. Hence, it recommends that government should as a matter of urgency, embrace and explore avenues of meaningful and purposeful dialogue with Anglophone stakeholders, in order to resolve the ‘national question' which undoubtedly, revolves around Anglophone Self-determination. Consequently, it proffers Federalism as the appropriate policy response to adopt, in order to resolve the problem, so as to promote national unity in diversity, as well as guarantee and safeguard the rights of minorities.