What Does Reconciliation Mean in the Cameroonian Context?

Note: Due to the length of this article, we have chosen to release it in segments to make it easier to read and digest. By releasing this work gradually, we hope to accompany you through that process rather than simply deliver information. Each segment will build on the last. Take your time with each one. A new segment will be published every Thursday. The full article will be made available once all segments have been released.

1. Introduction

“We, the people of Cameroon, proud of our linguistic and cultural diversity, an enriching feature of our national identity, but profoundly aware of the imperative need to further consolidate our unity, solemnly declare that we constitute one and the same Nation, bound by the same destiny, and assert our firm determination to build the Cameroonian Fatherland on the basis of the ideals of fraternity, justice and progress.[…] The Republic of Cameroon shall be a decentralized unitary State. It shall be one and indivisible, secular, democratic and dedicated to social service. It shall recognize and protect traditional values that conform to democratic principles, human rights and the law.” — Preamble of the Constitution of Cameroon

Thinking of the reconciliation process in Cameroon is the joint and common journey we have decided to take, to address what a reconciliation process looks like in Cameroon, in order to support the transitional system in which the country is finding itself now.

Reconciliation takes its essence in the necessity to rebuild relationships and trust in order to address past harm, and to prevent the cycle of violence from repeating itself. In the context of Cameroon, reconciliation has not yet received a definition that will reflect its reality and needs.

This issue comes as a prospective view of what reconciliation means for Cameroonians. The elements they attach to it, their perception towards it and the narratives attributed to it.

The question of the meaning of reconciliation is the central foundation toward which the other pillars “why” and “how” will get their anchor. Unless we understand what reconciliation means for Cameroonians, addressing the process in a holistic manner will be impossible. It is the entry point of the process.

In the last presidential election of October 2025 in Cameroon, major candidates have raised the issue of reconciliation as central to their programme of society. Each not addressing the meaning of reconciliation through the lens of Cameroonians’ perception, but rather by the political needs they have identified.

Through this issue, we want to address the central question: What is reconciliation for Cameroonians? How does it speak to the current context of Cameroon?

Through these lines, we will present to you the findings collected from 51 respondents to the questionnaire focusing on the meaning of reconciliation. We will elaborate analysis that will serve us, and you, to understand, and feel confident to discuss that segment of the process.

2. Background

As a concept, reconciliation was developed more extensively after the Second World War, when more actors understood that peace treaties were no longer sufficient for lasting peace and to address the deep social fractures in which war had drowned communities.

Each continent has examples of countries that were driven toward reconciliation.

What is relevant to notice in this historical and political background is that each country had its moment of reflection toward the type of relationship they needed between and among communities in order to have lasting peace. There is intentionality in that process.

As with other countries, Cameroon has also had moments in its political past and present where reconciliation has been flagged as a necessary process to bring unity.

After its accession to independence, the fathers of the founding nation expressed a priority to work toward reconciliation before structuring the political system of the country. But that will on their side was not respected by the incumbent President Amadou Ahidjo. The constitution signed in April 1960 was adopted in a context where violence was still ongoing, and the harms of the colonial system had not been addressed. It was a missed opportunity.

The second time reconciliation emerged as a need or condition toward unity in Cameroon was in the early years of the so-called “Anglophone crisis”, where the government decided to organise a National Dialogue to address that crisis in 2018, which was not a success. But still, the Anglophone crisis is the current conflict in Cameroon, where most political stakeholders are inclined to defend the need for reconciliation.

Reconciliation could be a need in the current context of Cameroon, but it is crucial first to address its content. For political, economic, and social actors, reconciliation means a different thing. Therefore, we are called to analyse these different meanings to extract patterns and narratives toward which a meaning for reconciliation is attributed for the context of Cameroon.

3. What We Found From The Survey

From the survey, 51 persons have replied to the questionnaire, of which 74.5% are Cameroonians residing in Cameroon, 19% in the diaspora, and 6% are foreigners living in Cameroon; of which 70.2% are women, and 29.8% men.

Description of reconciliation

Using their own vocabulary, responding to the second question (which is open) of the survey, the respondents have attributed words, or groups of expressions to define reconciliation. We have regrouped their answers into 06 major thematic codes.

1- Living together / coexistence
It is the most dominant frame used to define reconciliation by respondents. Many respondents collapse the entire concept of reconciliation into the phrase “vivre ensemble“, emphasizing a more social understanding.

2- Unity and restoration of broken bonds
Second on the list, this theme reflects a recognised fracture of the relationship among Cameroonians, who were once united. Outlining the need to “repair” from an existing basis, not a construction from scratch.

3- Forgiveness and making peace
Third on the list, this theme emphasizes the relational, moral and religious dynamics of the concept of reconciliation. Calling upon key values connected to the religious and social arena such as “forgiveness, mercy, and acceptance”. It implies an interpersonal logic that runs alongside any political process, and several responses tie it explicitly to repentance from those who caused harm.

4- Process, dialogue and political arrangement
This theme speaks more about reconciliation as first and foremost a “process”. A process that is structured and negotiated, and which requires and relies on formal mechanisms. It is intentional, and does not rely only on the goodwill of people.

“De façon générale, trouver une certaine unité dans la grande diversité, avoir un récit commun comme pays est essentiel sans pour autant écraser cette diversité. Plus concrètement: 1. D’une part, la fin du conflit dit anglophone avec une intégration politique et culturelle de tous les peuples et territoires qui composent le pays, que tous les peuples se sentent représentés justement, traités de façon égale, ayant les mêmes opportunités, vivant avec dignité, etc. 2. Mais aussi un dialogue intra et intercommunautaire au-delà de ce dit conflit puisqu’il y a énormément de conflits dans d’autres zones du pays aussi. Pour cela, il faut une reconnaissance des torts par toutes les parties (mémoire historique, ceci me rappelle l’Espagne qui a fait une loi de mémoire democratique, qui avait été une loi de mémoire historique) et un cadre politique inclusif qui puisse assurer justice et réparation. Avec participation communautaire/locale.” – From a respondant

5- Peace, security and a new start
This theme looks at reconciliation as an opportunity to start “something new”. New in terms of relationships, political systems, and identity. Which will directly contribute to stability, safety, addressing the past with sensitivity, and put an end to the current conflict dividing the country (the Anglophone crisis). It is about looking forward and envisioning the future.

6- Justice, equality and social repair
Through this theme, respondents look at reconciliation as the conceptual structure through which harms and violence must be addressed. Which is in line with the peacebuilding concept of “looking backwards in order to move forwards” developed by John Paul Lederach, emphasizing the urgency to address the harms committed in the past, before creating a new narrative envisioned in the future. It is one of the elements that makes the reconciliation process complex, because it will tackle core issues like structural violence, inequality and corruption that have contributed to fracturing the relationship among citizens.

Connection to global definitions and perceptions of reconciliation

Giving respondents the space to define reconciliation on their own terms was fundamental to start the thinking process about reconciliation in Cameroon. It is a reality check where respondents were called to look at the current context, and how Cameroonians relate to each other, and what needs they foresee as the strongest or most important to address.

In the second phase of this definition process of reconciliation, we proposed to respondents the most prominent definitions of reconciliation that have been made by diverse actors. Our choice for the selected definitions was based on the following criteria:

• Involvement in actual reconciliation processes: definitions of actors cited have worked in reconciliation processes at national level, or theorised the concept based on practice within contexts such as Africa, Latin America and Europe.
• Diversity of the background of the actors. Some are academics, religious, and others political.
• Ethical reputation of the actors, with worldwide recognition for their work, whether by conceptualising reconciliation, or by leading the process of reconciliation.

Based on these criteria, the following definitions were presented to the respondents in order for them to select the one that most closely or accurately reflects their perception and understanding of reconciliation in connection to the context of Cameroon:

“Reconciliation is a place where truth, mercy, justice, and peace meet. It is not an event but an ongoing social space in which former enemies can encounter one another and build a shared future.” John Paul Lederach — 1997

“Reconciliation is not about forgetting or papering over the cracks. It demands truth-telling, acknowledgment of past wrongs, restorative justice that heals victims and communities, and the creation of conditions that prevent recurrence.” Desmond Tutu / South African TRC — 1998

“Reconciliation is a process by which parties who have experienced an oppressive or destructive relationship move toward peaceful coexistence and cooperation through acknowledgment, mourning, apology, and the construction of a new shared narrative.” Louis Kriesberg — 2004

“Reconciliation is a voluntary process that involves developing new or renewed relationships; mutual acknowledgment of the past; empathy for the suffering of the other; commitment to reparation; and behavioural change that builds trust over time.” Brandon Hamber & Gráinne Kelly — 2004

“Reconciliation is the overarching process by which a society moves from a divided past to a shared future. It is the central goal of peacebuilding, addressing both the structural causes of conflict and the relational wounds left behind.” David Bloomfield — 2006

From these five definitions, Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s definition received the highest approval with 38.3%, followed by David Bloomfield’s with 21.3% and Brandon Hamber & Gráinne Kelly’s with 19.3%. John Paul Lederach’s definition received the least adhesion with 8.5%.

These results raise important questions. Did Tutu’s definition resonate because of a shared African identity, or because of Cameroonians’ familiarity with the South African apartheid experience and its celebrated Truth and Reconciliation Commission? And does David Bloomfield’s definition speak strongly to a need for “real” peace for Cameroon, one that takes its foundation within truth and justice by addressing the wounds of the past?

The limited appeal of Lederach’s definition is particularly significant. As the only definition that explicitly envisions reconciliation as the joint construction of a shared future between victims and those perceived as perpetrators, its low level of endorsement, fewer than one in ten respondents, highlights a critical challenge for reconciliation efforts in Cameroon. It indicates that the relational dimension of reconciliation, founded on mutual engagement and equal partnership, has yet to gain broad acceptance.

In the following section, we will analyse the findings, and connect them to other similar experiences undergone by countries across the African continent and worldwide.

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Note: Stay tuned for the next segment, to be published on July 30