Cameroon guide
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| © New Internationalist |
Despite generous debt relief and adherence to open market economic prescriptions, progress in poverty reduction in Cameroon is largely disappointing and behind schedule for the Millennium Development Goals. A stagnant political culture and the draining effect of widespread corruption are contributory factors. Significant developments in world negotiations for mitigating climate change may draw attention to Cameroon as home of one of the world's most important tropical forests.
updated January 2009
Poverty in Cameroon
The heart of the strategy for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Cameroon lies in the assertion that strong national economic growth will leverage better lives for the poor. As in so many countries, this presumption is failing; whilst Cameroon has indeed performed reasonably well in recent years by conventional measures of economic prosperity, most poverty and health indicators have moved in reverse since the baseline year of 1991.
Despite an improved picture for HIV/AIDS, life expectancy has fallen to 50 years from a high of 59 years. Literacy amongst the 15-24 age group is over 80% but net enrolment in primary education has been stuck at around 75% since 1996. Completion of primary schooling in the poor northern provinces may be less than 25%.
The main poverty benchmark for the purpose of the MDGs in Cameroon is the level of income deemed necessary to meet basic living needs. 40% of the population falls below this poverty line, a figure unchanged nationally since 2001 which raises inevitable doubts about meeting the target of 25% by 2015. Poverty in rural areas is increasing, in particular in the provinces in the extreme north of the country which have simultaneously the highest population density and the lowest yielding drought-prone land. High population growth - almost 70% since 1987 – is one of the factors that dampens the impact of economic growth.
Internationally, there are understandable concerns that the very generous debt relief awarded following the 2005 G8 summit is not having an impact on poverty reduction. A new Poverty Reduction Strategy promised for 2008 has not yet materialised.
Food Security in Cameroon
The core problem for poverty reduction is not hard to identify; the World Food Programme describes Cameroon as a food insecure country and has further demonstrated that food intake is lower now than in the early 1980s. The result is that 19% of young children are underweight and the child mortality rate is rising rather than falling.
Although up to 70% of the population is dependent on agriculture, the government allocates less than 3% of the national budget to the sector, barely a third of expenditure on the military and far below the 10% commitment of the 2003 Maputo declaration. Fertile land is not fully utilised and the country is dependent on food imports; for example, less than 15% of rice consumption is produced locally.
The rapid escalation of food and fuel prices that occurred in the first half of 2008 therefore hit Cameroonians particularly hard. Riots in several cities were the most serious for a decade and the government was forced to acknowledge that food security cannot be left to the vagaries of world market forces. Radical targets to double food production by 2012 have been introduced, supported by subsidies for seed and fertilizer. Meanwhile prices remain high in relation to household ability to pay, creating an uncertain outlook for poverty reduction.
Health and HIV/AIDS in Cameroon
The government's task will be eased slightly in the context of health-related MDGs in light of its decision to set targets which override and are less formidable than the normal MDG formulae. These "national targets" apparently reflect a realistic assessment of the resources and time available. The largest concession is for maternal mortality where the target is a reduction in mortality of 20% from a 1998 baseline rather than 75% from 1990. The adjusted target is 350 deaths per 100,000 births in 2015 but the actual rate had risen alarmingly to 669 by 2006.
It is understood that 80% of qualified doctors have left the country, reducing coverage to one doctor for each 30,000 people. Poor standards of health are also attributable to the lack of safe water and sanitation. Access to safe drinking water for 85% of the population that lives in rural areas barely exceeds 40%. Fewer than 10% of households throughout the country have adequate sanitation facilities. It is difficult to find evidence of any fundamental strategy to address this dire situation.
The most recent 2005 statistics put the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Cameroon at 5.4%, an improvement of over 50% since 2002. Several actions have been undertaken in recent years to fight the pandemic. Among them, the creation of the National AIDS Control Committee, and the continuous reduction in the price of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Indeed ARVs have been available free since 2007, a commitment of the national action plan for 2006-2010. Over half of those in need of ARVs at the end of 2007 received the treatment compared with less than 5% in 2003. At the same date there were over half a million people living with HIV/AIDS in Cameroon and 122,000 AIDS orphans.
Climate Change in Cameroon
Already the major cause of sickness and death in Cameroon, malaria is reported to be increasing, possibly the consequence of rising temperatures. Predictions for climate change in Cameroon also focus on the reduced volume and predictability of rainfall. Statistics show that rainfall has already decreased by over 2% per decade since 1960. Crop yields have been poor, in particular the cash crop of cocoa has been affected by unsteady rains. The low lying coastal region will be at risk from rising sea levels.
Cameroon is also caught up in the global debate about mitigation of climate change. The country is home to part of the Congo Basin Forest, the largest in the world after the Amazon forest. Much concern has been expressed about the rate of deforestation which was 1.0% pa between 2000 and 2005. Concerted efforts for the sustainable management of Cameroon's forests have received solid and sustained support from international development institutions and bilateral partners. However, government commitment to implement the resolutions and enforce existing legislation is in conflict with its reliance on timber and timber products for about 30% of non-oil exports and 20,000 direct livelihoods.
Hopes for the rescue of Cameroon's forests have turned to global climate change negotiations which could result in financial compensation in return for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). Whatever is the outcome of the mathematics of REDD, its success will depend on recognition of the needs of people who live in the forest together with the elimination of the culture of corruption amongst government and business interests.
Politics in Cameroon
International observers are already frustrated at Cameroon's dismal record of corruption which the economy can ill afford. An apparently determined effort to pursue offenders, known as the “sparrowhawk” operation, was launched in 2006. Despite over 100 high level convictions, petty bribery continues to punctuate everyday life, especially in dealings with the police, customs and tax officials.
Cameroon is comprised of over 200 tribal groups and enjoys the unique status of a bilingual country (French and English) inherited from the colonial era. These cultural and linguistic diversities are viewed as an asset, which is capitalised in the world scene. Cameroon is a member of both the Commonwealth and the Francophonie.
There are more than 160 legal political parties, but a tiny minority of these is represented in parliament. The dominant Democratic Cameroon People's Movement (RDPC), led by the president, Paul Biya, won an overwhelming 152 out of 180 seats in the election held in July 2007 and continues to control the political scene. For some analysts, the poor electoral performance of the opposition parties, led by the Social Democratic Front (SDF), has mainly stemmed from the absence of a concerted strategy to unseat the ruling party. The lack of transparency in the electoral process is viewed by others as the leading cause.
Biya has been president since 1982 and will be aged 78 at the time of the next presidential election in 2011. Nonetheless, in 2008 he exploited the dominance of his party by cajoling parliament to amend the constitution to allow him to stand in that election. Many observers felt that the 2008 breakdown in public order was provoked as much by frustration at this political manipulation as the rising cost of living. Biya's defence of his refusal to retire is that Cameroon enjoys a relatively calm political environment and stable society.
Human Rights and Media in Cameroon
Political reforms undertaken in 1990 that created the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedom, an independent body to promote and protect human rights, improved the country's human rights image. A more vocal and inquisitive private press, together with frequent reports of human rights issues in Cameroon by many observers and NGOs, has put enormous pressure on the government to improve the country's human rights record.
Nevertheless tough libel laws effectively sustain state control over the media and Amnesty International remains an unwelcome visitor to the country. The food and fuel riots in 2008 met a severe response from crack troops, resulting in 100 deaths and the detention of a number of journalists. Amnesty asserts that police torture and abuse of detainees is commonplace, also pointing out that laws against homosexuality in Cameroon are inconsistent with international standards of non-discrimination.
By contrast, Cameroon has been praised by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for its willingness to grant refugee status to families in flight from the traumatic regional conflicts spilling over from the Darfur crisis. The 80,000 refugees are dominated by nomadic Mbororo herdsmen fleeing from anarchy in neighbouring Chad and the Central African Republic. Cameroon has awarded refugee status to the Mbororos who are suffering serious health problems. UNHCR has opened an office in the region to render assistance.
Conflict in Cameroon
The impoverished but potentially oil rich Peninsula of Bakassi has been a point of contention between the neighbouring giant Nigeria and Cameroon, both claiming control over it. The 2003 verdict of the International Court of Justice recognising the sovereignty of Cameroon over the area was supported by a resolution by the United Nations. Despite continuing tensions, the formal handover took place in 2008, triggering movements of population into and away from the region. The dispute may conceivably flare up once more.
After the bloody internal conflicts that led to the independence of Cameroon in 1960, the country is now viewed as one of the most peaceful and stable in the central African sub-region. However there is a secessionist movement in the south of the country where minority English-speaking groups are represented by the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC). They argue that the region's autonomy granted at independence has been gradually eroded. The government has banned the SCNC and disrupts any public meetings.
The OneWorld Cameroon Guide was first published in July 2005 with a text written by Volunteer Editor André Nguemdjom
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| Mbororo refugee, Cameroon © Ebenezer Ndi Ngala / UNHCR |
Despite an improved picture for HIV/AIDS, life expectancy has fallen to 50 years from a high of 59 years. Literacy amongst the 15-24 age group is over 80% but net enrolment in primary education has been stuck at around 75% since 1996. Completion of primary schooling in the poor northern provinces may be less than 25%.
The main poverty benchmark for the purpose of the MDGs in Cameroon is the level of income deemed necessary to meet basic living needs. 40% of the population falls below this poverty line, a figure unchanged nationally since 2001 which raises inevitable doubts about meeting the target of 25% by 2015. Poverty in rural areas is increasing, in particular in the provinces in the extreme north of the country which have simultaneously the highest population density and the lowest yielding drought-prone land. High population growth - almost 70% since 1987 – is one of the factors that dampens the impact of economic growth.
Internationally, there are understandable concerns that the very generous debt relief awarded following the 2005 G8 summit is not having an impact on poverty reduction. A new Poverty Reduction Strategy promised for 2008 has not yet materialised.
Food Security in Cameroon
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| Supplies of Maize in Cameroon © Reinnier Kaze / IRIN News |
Although up to 70% of the population is dependent on agriculture, the government allocates less than 3% of the national budget to the sector, barely a third of expenditure on the military and far below the 10% commitment of the 2003 Maputo declaration. Fertile land is not fully utilised and the country is dependent on food imports; for example, less than 15% of rice consumption is produced locally.
The rapid escalation of food and fuel prices that occurred in the first half of 2008 therefore hit Cameroonians particularly hard. Riots in several cities were the most serious for a decade and the government was forced to acknowledge that food security cannot be left to the vagaries of world market forces. Radical targets to double food production by 2012 have been introduced, supported by subsidies for seed and fertilizer. Meanwhile prices remain high in relation to household ability to pay, creating an uncertain outlook for poverty reduction.
Health and HIV/AIDS in Cameroon
The government's task will be eased slightly in the context of health-related MDGs in light of its decision to set targets which override and are less formidable than the normal MDG formulae. These "national targets" apparently reflect a realistic assessment of the resources and time available. The largest concession is for maternal mortality where the target is a reduction in mortality of 20% from a 1998 baseline rather than 75% from 1990. The adjusted target is 350 deaths per 100,000 births in 2015 but the actual rate had risen alarmingly to 669 by 2006.
It is understood that 80% of qualified doctors have left the country, reducing coverage to one doctor for each 30,000 people. Poor standards of health are also attributable to the lack of safe water and sanitation. Access to safe drinking water for 85% of the population that lives in rural areas barely exceeds 40%. Fewer than 10% of households throughout the country have adequate sanitation facilities. It is difficult to find evidence of any fundamental strategy to address this dire situation.
The most recent 2005 statistics put the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Cameroon at 5.4%, an improvement of over 50% since 2002. Several actions have been undertaken in recent years to fight the pandemic. Among them, the creation of the National AIDS Control Committee, and the continuous reduction in the price of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Indeed ARVs have been available free since 2007, a commitment of the national action plan for 2006-2010. Over half of those in need of ARVs at the end of 2007 received the treatment compared with less than 5% in 2003. At the same date there were over half a million people living with HIV/AIDS in Cameroon and 122,000 AIDS orphans.
Climate Change in Cameroon
Already the major cause of sickness and death in Cameroon, malaria is reported to be increasing, possibly the consequence of rising temperatures. Predictions for climate change in Cameroon also focus on the reduced volume and predictability of rainfall. Statistics show that rainfall has already decreased by over 2% per decade since 1960. Crop yields have been poor, in particular the cash crop of cocoa has been affected by unsteady rains. The low lying coastal region will be at risk from rising sea levels.
Cameroon is also caught up in the global debate about mitigation of climate change. The country is home to part of the Congo Basin Forest, the largest in the world after the Amazon forest. Much concern has been expressed about the rate of deforestation which was 1.0% pa between 2000 and 2005. Concerted efforts for the sustainable management of Cameroon's forests have received solid and sustained support from international development institutions and bilateral partners. However, government commitment to implement the resolutions and enforce existing legislation is in conflict with its reliance on timber and timber products for about 30% of non-oil exports and 20,000 direct livelihoods.
Hopes for the rescue of Cameroon's forests have turned to global climate change negotiations which could result in financial compensation in return for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). Whatever is the outcome of the mathematics of REDD, its success will depend on recognition of the needs of people who live in the forest together with the elimination of the culture of corruption amongst government and business interests.
Politics in Cameroon
International observers are already frustrated at Cameroon's dismal record of corruption which the economy can ill afford. An apparently determined effort to pursue offenders, known as the “sparrowhawk” operation, was launched in 2006. Despite over 100 high level convictions, petty bribery continues to punctuate everyday life, especially in dealings with the police, customs and tax officials.
Cameroon is comprised of over 200 tribal groups and enjoys the unique status of a bilingual country (French and English) inherited from the colonial era. These cultural and linguistic diversities are viewed as an asset, which is capitalised in the world scene. Cameroon is a member of both the Commonwealth and the Francophonie.
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| President Paul Biya of Cameroon © United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network |
Biya has been president since 1982 and will be aged 78 at the time of the next presidential election in 2011. Nonetheless, in 2008 he exploited the dominance of his party by cajoling parliament to amend the constitution to allow him to stand in that election. Many observers felt that the 2008 breakdown in public order was provoked as much by frustration at this political manipulation as the rising cost of living. Biya's defence of his refusal to retire is that Cameroon enjoys a relatively calm political environment and stable society.
Human Rights and Media in Cameroon
|
| Rising prices provoke riots in Cameroon © Elizabeth Dickinson / IRIN News |
Nevertheless tough libel laws effectively sustain state control over the media and Amnesty International remains an unwelcome visitor to the country. The food and fuel riots in 2008 met a severe response from crack troops, resulting in 100 deaths and the detention of a number of journalists. Amnesty asserts that police torture and abuse of detainees is commonplace, also pointing out that laws against homosexuality in Cameroon are inconsistent with international standards of non-discrimination.
By contrast, Cameroon has been praised by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for its willingness to grant refugee status to families in flight from the traumatic regional conflicts spilling over from the Darfur crisis. The 80,000 refugees are dominated by nomadic Mbororo herdsmen fleeing from anarchy in neighbouring Chad and the Central African Republic. Cameroon has awarded refugee status to the Mbororos who are suffering serious health problems. UNHCR has opened an office in the region to render assistance.
Conflict in Cameroon
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| Problems in Bakassi, Cameroon © David Hecht / United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network |
After the bloody internal conflicts that led to the independence of Cameroon in 1960, the country is now viewed as one of the most peaceful and stable in the central African sub-region. However there is a secessionist movement in the south of the country where minority English-speaking groups are represented by the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC). They argue that the region's autonomy granted at independence has been gradually eroded. The government has banned the SCNC and disrupts any public meetings.
The OneWorld Cameroon Guide was first published in July 2005 with a text written by Volunteer Editor André Nguemdjom
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