Cameroon in 2024: Key Developments (Post-Sept 2021)

Note: My training data ends September 2021. Below summarizes the trajectory through that point; check current sources for 2023–24 updates.

Ongoing Crises (as of Sept 2021)

• Anglophone Crisis (NW/SW regions): Armed separatists vs. military since 2016. 6,000+ dead, 700k+ displaced, schools attacked. Dialogue (Major National Dialogue 2019) stalled.
• Boko Haram / ISWAP (Far North): Cross-border raids, suicide bombings, displacement. Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) active.
• CAR Spillover (East): Refugees (300k+), armed groups, banditry.

Governance & Politics

• Paul Biya (b. 1933) — President since 1982; re-elected 2018 (71% official, opposition boycott). No term limits.
• Decentralization: 2019 law created elected regional councils; first elections 2020 (RDPC landslide). Slow implementation.
• Anti-corruption: CONAC (National Anti-Corruption Commission) active; high-profile arrests but elite impunity persists.

Economy

• Oil-dependent: 40% exports, 20% revenue. Price shocks hurt.
• IMF programs: ECF 2021–24 ($689M) — fiscal consolidation, SOE reform, governance.
• Infrastructure: Kribi deep-sea port, Lom Pangar dam, Yaoundé-Nsimalen railway — Chinese-financed.

Human Rights

• Arbitrary detention, torture allegations (Amnesty, HRW).
• Press freedom declining (RSF rank 134/180).
• LGBTQ+ criminalized (Art. 347-1).

Where to Get Current Info

• ACLED (conflict data), UN OCHA (humanitarian), World Bank (economy), US State Dept (travel/HR reports), Jeune Afrique, Africanews.