Ethnicity in Cameroon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethnicity in Cameroon - Essay ExampleIts relief ranges from desert in the north, Savannah grassland to tropical rain forest in the southern region. (World InfoZone, 2008). It is called Africa in miniature as it harbors almost all the political, economic, religious, cultural and relief features of the entire continent. (World InfoZone, 2008).Ethnicity has been a topic of debate in the country for a long period of time now. With over 250 different ethnical groups having different cultures and local dialects, representative governance and integration becomes difficult and thusly has recently become a national topic of debate. This has its roots dating back to 1964 when the late Dr. Bernard Fonlon questioned the causation president Ahmadou Ahidjo on the Functioning of the then Federal Republic of Cameroon which was failing. This led to the change of the structure to the unite Republic of Cameroon in 1972 and later to the Republic of Cameroon in 1984. (Culture of Cameroon, 1997).The national question in Cameroon is more an burden of being either being part of the ruling majority and in which case, being submissive, paying commitment to the powers that be, or being part of the geographically privileged southerners who dominate and control power. (Mentah, 2008). The latest tendency is for the ruling establishment to meticulously fuel ethnic exclusion, articulating ethnic animosity getting isolated entities or ethnic groups for the-right-moment political manipulation. (Mentah, 2008). This means that the system of government is that of little or no patriotism but a struggle to share in the constantly diminishing national cake. (Nyamjoh, 1999). Though the country is politically really stable, the question of National unity and integration due to the ongoing politics of regional and ethnic balance, chronic lack of vision as a country, the lack of real commitment to democracy, the propensity to vacillate on most issues of collective