Governance of Ethnicity and The Rise of Conflicts in Africa: An Analysis of The Conflict in Cameroon

Since the end of the Cold War, the dynamics of conflict has changed as there is a decline in inter-state conflict and a rise in intra-state conflict. It is a global phenomenon as minority groups’ glamour for self-determination due to suppression, marginalization, poor governance encountered from majority group, which has led to the rise of conflicts in most parts of the world most especially in Africa. Ethnic conflicts constitute a major challenge to international peace and security. The Balkans, the West Bank and Gaza strip and most especially countries in Sub Saharan Africa have witnessed the rise of intra-state conflicts as a result of poor governance of ethnicity. This paper seeks to examine the governance of ethnicity and the rise of conflicts in Africa with particular attention on the conflict in Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Centripetalism as the theoretical framework that guided the paper. The paper adopted a case study research design with the use of qualitative approach for data collection. The purposive sampling technique was used to interview 40 respondents from Mezam (North West) and Fako (South West) divisions. The paper used thematic as a method of data analysis. The finding of the study holds that poor governance of ethnicity could be held accountable for the conflict in Anglophone regions of Cameroon because differences in diversity have been poorly managed. The findings hold that factors such as colonialism, marginalization and state structure have equally played a role in the outbreak of the conflict. The poor governance and management of ethnicity by the government of Cameroon has led to the escalation of the conflict with huge displacement of people, loss of lives and destruction of properties in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. To better manage and govern ethnicity, there is need to introduce mechanisms that build an inclusive society without necessarily destroying the identities of the respective cultures. The study recommends that there is need to accept and recognize the identities of minority group as a way to manage and govern ethnicity in todays’ heterogeneous societies in Africa.