Conflict Resolution, Culture, Tradition And Development

 By  Dr.  Namanga Ngongi

Paper Presented At The Conference Organized By The South West Regional Assembly, Buea, 12th And 13th May, 2023

It is a great honour for me to have been requested to be here and present a paper on conflict resolution, tradition, culture and development. This is a very broad but interesting topic on which volumes can and have been written. Our traditional leaders here present are much better placed to address issues of tradition and culture than me. I will thus touch on these only as they affect development.

Conflicts have existed since Cain and Abel in the Bible. One brother’s sacrifice was accepted while the others was rejected. This led Cain to kill his brother. Many factors are responsible for llll ,,,,,,conflicts within families, villages, communities, countries and between countries. These factors include jealousy, envy, competition for limited resources, territorial control, governance issues, conflicts in religion, feelings of superiority among ethnic groups, cultural differences, migration, pride, environmental degradation and many others. These factors have fueled recent conflicts in the world (WWI and WWII), Africa (Angola, DRC, Liberia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Chad, CAR, Burundi, Mali, Mozambique, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Sudan etc.). Our country Cameroon has not been spared and the recent atrocities in Sudan make one to shudder.  

The focus on the conflict in Cameroon has been on governance, language and political issues. These have, of course, been critical drivers but culture and tradition have played equally important roles. Had Germany continued to rule Cameroon as a unit up to independence in 1960 would there have been this conflict as we know it?  The clash of cultures and traditions has fueled feelings of marginalization that in turn led to the conflict and brought governance issues to high prominence.

When I agreed to participate in this Forum I said that I will not be part of a Blame Game. The Anglophone crisis has been fully documented and analyzed but the issues are not fully understood. However, for the purpose of this paper it is useful to mention just a few issues put forward to justify the struggle (refer to Vision 2035):

CULTURE

A country with more than 200 indigenous ethnic groups is complex enough to manage. Having two foreign languages as official languages through which government business is transacted makes the situation even more complex. Language is not just for communication. Language is the transmitter of culture and traditions and human behavior is shaped by culture and traditions. While we as Cameroonians are trying to co-exist in the in the context of our various languages, cultures and traditions we have to factor in the acquired cultures and traditions of the British and the French especially in the areas of administration, education, the judiciary and governance.

GOVERNANCE

In the late 1980s and early 1990s Cameroon witnessed a period of instability as a result of a growing movement to reinstate multi-party democracy. Demonstrations and ghost towns culminated in the convening of a tripartite conference, the Anglophone Conference in 1992 and 1993. Multiparty democracy was reintroduced in 1992. Ultimately the 1996 Constitution was promulgated on January 24, 1996. This constitution that responded in large measure to the democratic aspirations of the population and met to a significant extent the aspirations of the people of the English-speaking regions at that time remained unimplemented for twenty-four years. During that period of more than two decades voices were raised asking for its implementation and other voices emerged seeking a return to a federation and others yet for outright secession.

TEACHERS AND LAWYERS

 Organized peaceful demonstrations to protect Anglo-Saxon education and the Common Law System in the English-Speaking Regions they were roughly dispersed. Succeeding demonstrations in the North West and South West Regions were taken advantage of by those seeking secession. Six years later we are in a conflict that has brought untold suffering to the people of the North West and South West Regions in particular and has had significant negative impact on the country’s economy and development.

A Grand National Dialogue was organized from 30 September to 4th October, 2018 with an objective to respond to the Anglophone Crisis. The most important result of the Dialogue was the granting of Special Status to the North West and South West Regions. The N. W and S. W Regional Assemblies are a result of that Special Status.  We are here today thanks to the initiative of the South West Regional Assembly. However, despite the convening of the GND and the Special Status for the two English Speaking Regions, the war rages on. That is a clear demonstration that the underlying issues that led to the crisis were either not fully understood or adequately addressed. The reconstruction program for the N.W and S.W regions that was designed to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure and empower the populations in the affected regions to restart economic activities and rebuild their communities is yet to get into full speed. It is evident that the population is tired of this conflict and would be happy for it to come to an end. This is where conflict resolution comes in.

WHY DO WE NEED CONFLICT RESOLUTION?

The answer is quite simple. We are all concerned or should be concerned about our suffering, the suffering of our children, friends and relatives and the population as a whole. Of course, there are issues of Governance to be resolved but the driving force behind any conflict resolution effort should be the wellbeing of the people. The ability of diverse people to live together in peace and engage in their various vocations and sources of livelihoods. That should be the rule for the resolution of internal and external conflicts. This can be achieved only when the various components of the population see their core interests and values respected. A unilateral or military solution to a conflict normally leaves many underlying issues unresolved and may only postpone the conflict to another day or generation. Successful conflict resolution that leads to sustainable peace is obtained through dialogue.

HOW IS A CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESS ENGAGED?

All conflicts are not the result of the same issues. The principal causes of any particular conflict have to be identified. Each party to the conflict needs to be listened to as it will have its own list of the key issues that lured them into a conflict and which they would like to see resolved. Some parties to a conflict may be obdurate but if some of the key issues that pushed them to the extreme are addressed their justification for continuing the conflict will be weakened. In the course of discussion parties in conflict may realize that the greater interests of their populations will be better protected through a relatively satisfactory peace agreement than in the pursuit of total vindication.

Since each party may have some seemingly unshakable positions, it is difficult for one of the parties to organize a conflict resolution process. A third party should be entrusted with the task of compilation of the issues that need resolution. If the parties in conflict agree broadly with the issues identified they will be more likely to participate in a conflict resolution process. Since it may not be possible to address and resolve all the issues at the same time it would be necessary to have a priority ranking of issues, drawing from those raised by all the parties starting with the short-term issues.  

CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT

It is important that an environment conducive to discussions and confidence building be created. A truce or temporary ceasefire that allows a short break in hostilities for leaders of the parties in conflict to assess the seriousness of the other party or parties to engage in discussions, agree on a date, venue and select representatives to the discussion is useful. The parties could also be asked to confirm or select a facilitator/mediator.

Subsequent to the institution of a truce and an agreement to pursue in-depth discussions, a ceasefire or more permanent cessation of hostilities agreed by all or most of the parties should be put in place. This should be backed by a ceasefire violations verification mechanism to denounce violations. This is an important measure as some armed groups may not respect the ceasefire. There will be violations, deliberate or unintended, especially in the early phase of the ceasefire. In cases of extreme human suffering and deprivations, human rights abuses and possible threats to the security and stability of neighbouring countries, the United Nations may deploy a Monitoring or Peace Keeping Mission, usually at the invitation of the country. In extreme cases the UN Secretary General is authorized to act in lieu of the Government.

THE PROCESS

Taking advantage of the ceasefire, a peace conference is convened by the facilitator or mediator. The facilitator/mediator can be a national, an expatriate or an institution. In any case, an independent and respected personality or institution is needed for the services of a facilitator or mediator. The role of the Facilitator/Mediator is to draft and have terms of participation agreed by the parties concerned, the parties to be invited, the number of participants, the venue, duration of the conference, prepare an agenda, chair/facilitate discussions and produce a report for approval by the participants. The full agenda will be a subject for discussion and agreement by the parties. The Facilitator/Mediator has to prepare the conference in close consultation with the parties concerned in order to gain their confidence in the process.

No conflict resolution process is as smooth as outlined above. Agreement on issues to be discussed may take some time as each party tries to veto issues advanced by the other party or parties. It may also not be possible to discuss and agree on all issues in one seating. Truces and local ceasefires that respond to sporadic violations will be ongoing all along the process. What is needed is firm commitment by all the parties to the search for peace. The restoration of peace in any country in conflict gives that country a chance to retrace its path towards reconciliation, rehabilitation and development. Our country will benefit immensely from such a process.

CULTURE, TRADITION AND CONFLICTS

As stated earlier, conflicts are also driven by culture and tradition. There are groups of people around the world, Africa and Cameroon are not exempted, who inspired by their culture and tradition, feel entitled to a larger share of national or transnational resources. This is often the case of people who have established themselves on territory previously occupied by militarily weaker groups. “Duetchland Uber Alles”, comes to mind. There are situations where two or more strong groups of people live in close proximity to one another and one group wants to exert supremacy over resources or religion. Can anyone count the number of wars between the French and Germans? There are people whose pride in their rich culture and traditions find it difficult to subject themselves to be ruled by others or work under them; those who feel that they have a “God given” right to use the resources of other groups without fair compensation; and those who feel that their security lies in the control of their neighbours. These are all potential sources of conflict and have been the roots of many conflicts. The Russia/Ukraine war is a clear example in our time.

DEVELOPMENT AND CONFLICTS

The quest for economic development has been the source of many global, regional and national conflicts. The new world, North and South America, was settled mostly by Europeans fleeing their countries in search of better economic opportunities and it was an issue of taxation or excessive taxation that led to the Boston Tea Party and the American War of Independence. The British and French Hundred Years War was over supremacy in Europe and the slave trade that led to the forceful transfer of over 12 million Africans to the Americas over a period of 400 years was for the use of free or cheap labour in agriculture and the construction of infrastructure. Scarcity of resources is at the base of the long running conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The last 50 years have witnessed many conflicts in the Middle East that are mostly driven by foreign interests in the vast oil resources in that part of the world. In Africa the blessing or curse of resources has fueled many long-lasting conflicts within national boundaries and across.

Although it is generally agreed that climate change will be a key driver for future conflicts, in the short to medium term, youth unemployment is likely to be the major force for conflicts in Africa. Youth unemployment and underemployment in Africa is over 50 percent, compared to 14 percent in Asia and 13 percent globally. University graduates are making a fragile living riding motorcycles as taxis and today selling fuel on roadsides. The cost of living is spiraling and urbanization is accelerating much faster than the construction of urban infrastructure. The youths have in their hands a powerful instrument for mobilization, the mobile phone. If youth unemployment is not tackled and tackled seriously and urgently, Africa will be in turmoil. Of course, we all realize that the educational systems and mid sets have to be changed from job seeking to job creation but little is done in that direction. We only need to visit our technical schools and see for ourselves the equipment and infrastructure in place.

PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT ARE POSSIBLE

Conflicts are not a permanent condition in life. Post conflict reconciliation, peace and development are possible realizations. Many African countries that were in conflict for decades are now enjoying relative peace, security and development. This has been attained mostly through dialogue. Some examples will certainly inspire us in that direction.

EXAMPLES

ANGOLA

This country experienced conflict that was mostly externally driven for the exploitation of its immense natural resources for decades. Many attempts were made for negotiations and agreement was reached that opened the way for democratic elections. These were organized but as the partial results were being read over the media one of the parties felt cheated and resumed fighting. Their leader, Jonas Savimbi, was eventually killed in battle. Thus, the war ended in a military victory. I happened to be in Luanda and with the Minister of Defense when news reached me of the death of Mr.  Savimbi. The many years of mediation and negotiation created an atmosphere that has led to democratic and transparent elections and administration.

BURUNDI

After many years of conflict between Tutsis and Hutus, the parties in conflict accepted UN mediation. I accompanied the late Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan to one of the sessions in Dar Es Salam in 2002. On the streets of Bujumbura there were young Tutsis who were parading calling themselves “les inconditionnels”. They did not envisage any circumstances under which Hutus could be in power. That is a country with a Hutu majority of 85 per cent. Eventually the unthinkable happened and the Hutu rebel leader I met in Dar Es Salam became President after successful mediated negotiations and Burundi is relatively peaceful today.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)

The current conflict in D. R Congo has been going on since 1997. Rebels from the East led by Laurent Kabilla, with support from Rwanda, succeeded in pushing President Mobutu from power. Other rebel groups not loyal to President Kabilla were bent on overthrowing him. His disagreement with President Kagame who had supported him earlier led to the formation of another rebel group in the East of the country. A joint AU/UN mediation process was launched in 1999 and a Peace Keeping Mission established.  President Laurent Kabilla was assassinated in January 2001.  He was succeeded by his son, Joseph Kabilla. The peace process was continued and I was appointed Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the Peace Keeping Mission in September 2001. I served until June 30, 2003.

When I arrived, the peace process was led by a Neutral Facilitator, the late former President of Botswana, Sir. Ketumile Marire. The position of facilitator did not give him the authority needed to set a negotiation agenda. The first peace conference held in Sun City, South Africa in February, 2002 failed to produce an agreement after 52 days. I was there for some of that time. My presence at the conference enabled me to gain some insights that helped move the process forward:

i) The parties had not been prepared for the conference. Each party came to claim the presidency and important positions in the future government and ii) a mediator was needed to bridge the gaps among the parties. The presence of many local community-based splinter groups and interference from neighbouring countries and mineral hungry multinationals did not facilitate the process.

An agreement that was satisfactory to most parties, especially the large and organized parties was reached at the second peace conference in December 2002. Even then the rebel leaders did not wish to go to Kinshasa and be part of the transitional government. I undertook additional negotiations to assure the security of the leaders and went to get them from the bush in April 2003. The conflict is still ongoing but now limited mostly to North Kivu Province. The country is in relative peace and can now focus on development.

LIBERIA

When I went to Liberia for the first time in January 1996, there were six “Presidents”, the leaders of the large and better organized parties in conflict. The civil war had dragged on for years and the warring factions were in a stalemate. Reluctantly the parties in conflict accepted UN mediation that ended up with elections and Charles Taylor became President. That brought the country some peace before conflict erupted again. In the end Charles Taylor was chased out of power, sought exile in Nigeria and ended up in the International Criminal Court. A mediated conflict resolution process led to a transition to more stable democratic elections and today, George Weah, the great footballer, is President.

MOZAMBIQUE

After a very long struggle against Portugal Mozambique gained independence but the two main rebel forces that were engaged in the struggle could not come together, principally because both of their leaders wanted to be President. In addition, one movement was socialist while the other had capitalist orientations. The internal struggle lasted from 1975 to 1994 when a peace agreement was brokered by an Italian NGO San Egido. The devastating drought that prevailed in the country from 1993 to 1994 contributed immensely to getting the parties in conflict around the dialogue table. Mozambique is not totally peaceful today but the current problems are more from Islamist movements although there is still a divide between the North and Center controlled by RENAMO and the South controlled by Frelimo.

SIERRA LEONE

This country was largely destabilized by the conflict in Liberia. The parties in conflict in Liberia used Sierra Leone as a staging area and a source of financial resources through the illegal exploitation of diamonds. Local interest saw some financial gains in participating in the exploitation of diamonds. Military Officers were not blind to the possibilities of making money out of chaos. The very high level of corruption in the country under civilian governments contributed to the military takeovers. The Sierra Leone conflict ranks among the most brutal in the world. Men, women and children were amputated and deformed, pregnant women’s stomachs ripped open, women raped in front of their families and children made to rape their mothers. The total breakdown of law and order created a situation in which the United Nations had to act without government consent. The first application of the principle of a failed state.

After many bloody years and the establishment of a peace keeping operation a peace agreement was signed and a reasonable state of stability established. Today, Gen. Bio, the 30 years old military leader, who was president at the time of my visit in January 1996, is a civilian president.

CONCLUSION

Conflicts are inevitable in human societies. They could be within families, clans, villages, Divisions, countries, regions and globally. There may be short-term gains for powerful individuals but conflicts normally inflict serious losses to populations, countries and humanity as a whole. Although the aspirations of some groups of people or countries could be advanced through the instigation of conflicts, the widespread sufferings, hatred and economic dislocation that result from conflicts largely outweigh such benefits. The main benefit, if it can be so called, is that parties in conflict may get to know the boundaries of tolerance of their adversaries and so formulate agreements that would ensure future peaceful co-existence as is the case today in Europe and Asia. This requires persons of vision and courage to work towards its realization. I pray that the outcome of this conference will be a firm commitment by all of us here present to advocate for a process that will lead to peace and reconciliation in our country and especially so in the SW and NW regions and give the population reason to hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

About The Author

Dr. Namanga Ngongi is the founding chairman of the AFAP board of trustees. This is an honour that adds to the other accomplishments of his career that has included major contributions to agricultural development and international diplomacy.

Until April 2012, he was the president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a job he took after decades of service to the United Nations. Namanga joined the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) in 1984 as head of the East and Southern Africa service. He rose through the ranks and later served the WFP as deputy executive director (1994-2001). He was appointed undersecretary-general and special representative of the Secretary-General of the UN to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001-2003) to manage the peacekeeping operations, oversee the ceasefire, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Namanga is Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and a member of the Programme Committee of the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC).

Namanga started his career as an agricultural extension officer in Cameroon, where he owns a farm. He earned his undergraduate degree in Agriculture from the California State Polytechnic University (1968) and graduate degrees in Agronomy from Cornell University (1973 and 1976).

Dr. Namanga Ngongi is an Officer of the National Order of Valour of Cameroon.