The legacy of French colonialism in Cameroon

Colonialism and neo-colonialism remain central to understanding the contradictions of statehood, democracy, and governance in post-colonies, where they continue to reproduce dependency, authoritarianism, and contested sovereignty. In Cameroon, the administrative and institutional frameworks established under colonial rule did not vanish with independence but were reconfigured into instruments of continued domination. As such, a qualitative approach was found most suitable for the study: it enabled a comprehensive analysis of historical contexts and contemporary dynamics. Theoretically, Agency Theory analyses the interactions between state and non-state actors, while the complementary lenses of colonialism, neo-colonialism, and imperialism reveal the continuities of domination embedded within the post-colonial order. The centralized governance structures, inherited from colonial administrations, entrenched authoritarian rule and curtailed democratic accountability. Findings reveal that centralized and authoritarian governance models, entrenched under colonial rule, were institutionalized in post-colonial Cameroon and remain resistant to democratic accountability. The dual colonial experiences compounded overlapping hierarchies of power, deepening inequality, exclusion, and contested national identity. The colonialism's legacy of extractive policies entrenched a structural dependency that has been perpetuated through France's neo-colonial instruments: the CFA Franc, monopolistic control over natural resources, and military support. These mechanisms constrain sovereignty and reproduce the asymmetrical power relations of empire under new guises. Resistance, however, has been equally enduring. From early anti-colonial mobilizations to contemporary Anglophone struggles, political actors have consistently contested external domination and domestic authoritarianism, underscoring the unfinished nature of decolonization. These struggles reveal that decolonization remains incomplete, constrained by entrenched neo-colonial mechanisms and the cooperation of ruling elites. The analysis highlights the need of dismantling neo-colonial mechanisms, reclaiming socio-economic and institutional sovereignty, and reframing governance on the basis of popular agency. By situating Cameroon within wider African and global dynamics, the analysis demonstrates that questions of governance, development, and sovereignty cannot be separated from the unfinished project of decolonization.