Independence and reunification

After the First World War, the former German colony of Kamerun was divided between France and Britain, first as League of Nations mandates and, after 1946, as United Nations trust territories.¹²

Independence of French Cameroun

Nationalist politics intensified after the Second World War. The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), founded in 1948, demanded independence and reunification; it was banned in 1955 and pursued an armed struggle.³ The French-administered territory became independent on 1 January 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon, with Ahmadou Ahidjo at its head.⁴

The 1961 plebiscites

The British-administered territory was governed as two parts. In United Nations-supervised plebiscites in February 1961, Southern Cameroons voted to join the Republic of Cameroon, while Northern Cameroons voted to join Nigeria.⁵

Federation, then a unitary state

On 1 October 1961 the Federal Republic of Cameroon was created, joining East Cameroon and West Cameroon.⁴² A referendum on 20 May 1972 replaced the federation with the United Republic of Cameroon; 20 May is now National Day.⁴ In 1984 the country took the name Republic of Cameroon.⁴

Interpretations

Historians and political actors continue to debate the terms of the 1961 union and the 1972 move to a unitary state, debates that remain part of contemporary politics in the Northwest and Southwest regions. InsideKamer will present those perspectives with attribution as sources are reviewed.