Hybrid Governance and Civilian Survival: Rethinking State Legitimacy in Cameroon’s Anglophone Conflict, 2017-2025

Abstract

The Anglophone conflict in Cameroon has generated a fragmented political landscape in which state authority is increasingly contested by armed separatist groups. In this context, governance is no longer monopolized by the state but emerges through complex interactions between formal institutions, non-state actors, and local communities. This study examines how systems of hybrid governance shape civilian survival strategies and reconfigure notions of state legitimacy in conflict-affected areas. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, including interviews with internally displaced persons, community leaders, and civil society actors, as well as policy analysis, the research explores how civilians navigate competing authorities to secure protection, access services, and sustain livelihoods. It further investigates the extent to which separatist groups assume governance functions and how these practices influence local perceptions of legitimacy and authority. By foregrounding civilian agency, the study challenges state-centric approaches to peace building and argues that legitimacy in conflict settings is negotiated through everyday practices rather than imposed through formal institutions. The findings will contribute to academic debates on governance in fragile contexts while providing policy relevant insights for designing more context sensitive and inclusive peace building strategies in Cameroon and comparable African conflicts.