Understanding the Inability of Local and International NGOs in Addressing the Humanitarian and Peace building Needs of the Affected Population During the Cameroon Anglophone Conflict

Abstract

The Cameroon-Anglophone conflict has dominated political discussions and debates in Cameroon and abroad, especially after the situation went violent in 2017. Various stakeholders, including international and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have taken an interest in bringing in their humanitarian and peacebuilding supports. Despite their efforts, it is reported in Malafa, Moki, Sunjo and Ewusi (2024) that members of the affected communities found them to be ineffective in their humanitarian and peacebuilding roles. The objective of this study is to examine the inability of these NGOs to address the humanitarian and peacebuilding needs of the affected population during the Cameroon Anglophone conflict. The researchers adopted the qualitative research approach using in-depth interviews. Considering the sensitivity of this research topic, the researchers employed the purposive and snowballing sampling techniques to select officials of some NGOs and key informants for the study by targeting individuals who were interested and versed in the issue. A total of 24 participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The findings revealed that insecurity and the threat to life, inaccessibility to the needy population, lack of collaboration and confidence from the affected population, poor communication network and language barrier, undue pressure from some traditional leaders, corrupt practices and dishonesty of hired community mobilisers, unstable population, lack of funding, donor fatigue, and lack of collaboration among NGOs were the factors that contributed to the inability of the NGOs to effectively address the humanitarian and peacebuilding needs of the affected population. Among the major recommendations are the following: NGOs should empower people in affected communities to become self-sustaining rather than constantly providing for their needs with funds that are often limited. Also, there should be periods of ceasefire between government forces and separatist fighters to enable the NGOs to carry on their humanitarian and peacebuilding activities without being faced with the risk of being hit by a targeted or stray bullet. This is in line with the collective model of the Seybolt’s humanitarian systems theory that recommends NGOs should jointly carry out need assessments of the affected population and decide what each organisation will supply as per their specialisation to curb domain overlap, corruption and competition.