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Abstract
The persistence of French neo-colonialism has motivated the emergence of new and very aggressive forms of pan-Africanism in most – nay all – Francophone African countries. Indeed, many Francophobic pressure groups operating in Francophone African countries have sought to resist French neo-colonialism in their countries by mobilizing forms of pan-Africanism, which to a great extent, are xenophobic and disruptive to France’s diplomacy in specific Francophone African countries. In Cameroon, for instance, several so-called pan-African media initiatives, such as Afrique Media, have resorted to a very combative – but professionally problematic – form of journalism called ‘journalism of opinion’ to denounce Western political imperialism and contribute in no small measure, to the fight against Western (and particularly French) neo-colonialism in Cameroon. This paper seeks to illustrate the above phenomenon hinging on secondary sources and critical observations. Specifically, the paper explores indexes of French neo-colonialism in Cameroon and examines how the Cameroonian intelligentsia, in general and specific pan-African media houses in the countries in particular, have sought to combat this French neo-colonialism.
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References
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- Pommerolle, M.E. (2015). Les Violences dans l’Extrême Nord du Cameroun. Le Complot comme Outil d’Interprétation des Luttes Politiques. Politique Africaine, 2(138), 163-177.
- Price, R.M. (1984). Neo-colonialism and Ghana’s Economic Decline: A Critical Assessment. Canadian Journal of African Studies, 18(1), 163-193.
- Scheid, A.F. (2011). Under the Palaver Tree: Community ethics for Truth-Telling and Reconciliation. Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, 31(1), 17-36.
- Shadadah, A. (2009). The Heavy Flag of Pan-African Cinema. African Holocaust. Retrieved August 2nd, 2018 from http://www.africanholocaust.net/media_ah.html
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References
Abmbazonia Prisonniers of Conscience Support Network (2017). History and Context : The Ambazonian Crisis and the African Unending Nightmare of Françafrique. New York: Ambazonia Defence Council
Afrique Media (2014). The War of Afrique Media to Maintain a Pan-Africanist Television. Equatorial Guinea. The Official Web Page of the Government of Equatorial Guinea. Retrieved May 15, 2020 from https://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=5458&lang=en
Al Mariam, N. (2017). Chinese Neocolonialism in Africa: The Dragon Eating the African Lion and Cheetah. Al Mariam Commentaries. Retrieved August 2nd, 2018 fromhttp://almariam.com/2017/09/03/chinese-neocolonialism-in-africa-the-dragon-eating-the-african-lion-and-cheetah-part-i/
Ambazonian Prisoners of Conscience Support Network (2018). History and Context. Retreived June 3, 2019, from https://www.ambazoniapocs.net/node/16
American Historical Association (2016). The Pan-African movement. Retrieved August 2nd , 2018 from https://www.historians.org/teaching-and-learning/teaching-resources-for-historians/teaching-and-learning-in-the-digital-age/through-the-lens-of-history-biafra-nigeria-the-west-and-the-world/the-colonial-and-pre-colonial-eras-in-nigeria/the-pan-african-movement
Atemengue, M. A. (2003), Sortir le Cameroun de l’Impasse, Paris : l’Harmattan.
Athow, B. & Blanton, R.G. (2002). Colonial Style, Colonial Legacies: Trade Pattern in British and French Africa. Journal of Third World Studies (Fall 2002), 1-15.
Azikiwe, A. (2014). Neocolonialism and “Africa’s Relation with the World”. Pan-African News Wire, Retrieved August 24, 2018 from https://www.globalresearch.ca/neo-colonialism-and-africas-relations-with-the-world/5389448
Basiru, S.A., Salawu, M.L. & Adepuju, A. (2018). Radical Pan-Africanisn and African Integration: A Retrospective Exploration and Prospective Prognosis. Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies, 41(1), 103-124.
Boungou, F. (2014). Cameroun: Afrique Media Epinglée – le CNC: des Assises à tout va … Le Messager, October 9th Edition, pp.13-14.
Domatob, J.K. (1988). Sub-Saharan Africa’s Media and Neocolonialism. African Media Review, 3(1), 149-172.
Dougueli, G. (2019). Cameroun: Francophonie et Populisme à la Carte. Jeune Afrique Economique, Edition du 4 décembre, pp.26-27.
Economic Question (2018). The CFA Zone: Neocolonialism and Dependency. Economic Question. Retrieved September 26, 2019 from https://economicquestions.org/cfa-franc-neocolonialism/
Jing, T. (2019). Curricular Issues in Neocolonial Cameroon: A Personal Journey. Journal of Black Studies 50(2), 202-221.
Haag, D. (2011). Mechanism or Neocolonialism. Current French and British Influences in Cameroon and Ghana. Per la Pau: Institut Catala Internacional
Kakang, G. (2017). Cameroun, Afrique Media : L’Enemi Essaye d’Entrer dans la Maison. Cameroun. Camer be. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from http://www.camer.be/64428/30:27/cameroun-afrique-media-laennemi-essaye-daentrer-dans-la-maison-cameroon.html
Kingue, P.E. (2010) Lettre Ouverte de Paul Eric Kingue au Monde libre. Resistance Blog 71. Retrieved May 16,2020 from https://resistance71.wordpress.com/tag/francafrique-cameroun-neo-colonialisme/
Kingue, P.E. (2011). Lettre Ouverte à son Excellence Monsieur le Président de la République. Maire de Njombe : Paul Eric Kingue, Victime d’un Complot Finacier ?,. Infonet. Retrieved May 16, 2010 from http://www.camerounlink.com/files/mairie-de-njombe-paul-eric-kingue-victime-d-un-complot-financier-/42/wid-5
Martin, G. (1984). “African-European Economic Relations under the Lomé Convention: Commodities and the Scheme of Stabilization of Export Earnings.” African Studies Review, 27(3), 41-66.
M’buyinga, E. (n/d) Pan-Africanism or Neo-Colonialism. Conciencism Retrieved August 19, 2019 from https://consciencism.wordpress.com/history/pan-africanism-neo-colonialism/
Makalani, M. (2018). Pan-Africanism. In Mellon E. (ed), Africana Age. African and African diasporan transformations in the 21st century, (pp.1-19), Rutgers: University of Rutgers
Mbamalu, S. (2019). This is Africa Launches #OurContinentOurStories Campaign amidst Demand for Pan-African Media. This is Africa. Retrieved May 15, 2020 from https://thisisafrica.me/africans-rising/this-is-africa-launches-ourcontinentourstories-campaign-amidst-demand-for-pan-african-media/
Mbog, R. (2015). Au Cameroun, la Montée d’un Sentiment Anti-Français. Le Monde Afrique, Edition du 3 juillet, pp.18-22.
Meyer, J.M. (2019). Stephanie Rivoal : « Le Sentiment Anti-Français n’est pas Généralisé ». Le Point, Edition du 20 Décembre, Retrieved May 20, 2020 from https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/stephanie-rivoal-le-sentiment-anti-francais-n-est-pas-generalise-20-12-2019-2354208_3826.php
Moki, E,K. (2015). Cameroon Shuts Down Offices of Pan-African TV Channel. Voice of America News. Retrieved May 15, 2020 from https://www.voanews.com/africa/cameroon-shuts-down-offices-pan-african-tv-channel
Ndongo, S.S. (2017). The CFA Franc: French Monetary Imperialism in Africa. Review of African Political Economy, Retrieved May 15, 2020 from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2017/07/12/the-cfa-franc-french-monetary-imperialism-in-africa/
Nkrumah, K. (1965). Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons.
Oseni, T.A. (2017). Neocolonialism. In Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved August 2nd, 2018 from https://www.iep.utm.edu/neocolon/
Pommerolle, M.E. (2015). Les Violences dans l’Extrême Nord du Cameroun. Le Complot comme Outil d’Interprétation des Luttes Politiques. Politique Africaine, 2(138), 163-177.
Price, R.M. (1984). Neo-colonialism and Ghana’s Economic Decline: A Critical Assessment. Canadian Journal of African Studies, 18(1), 163-193.
Scheid, A.F. (2011). Under the Palaver Tree: Community ethics for Truth-Telling and Reconciliation. Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, 31(1), 17-36.
Shadadah, A. (2009). The Heavy Flag of Pan-African Cinema. African Holocaust. Retrieved August 2nd, 2018 from http://www.africanholocaust.net/media_ah.html
Signé, L. (2017). Innovating Development Strategies in Africa: The Role of International, Regional and National Actors, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Signé, L. (2019). African CFA Franc works as an enabler and barrier to development. Quartz Africa, December 7 edition, pp. 3-8.
Smith, E. (2016). Distorting the News in Africa: How Dictators have Tried to Shape the Media Landscape to their Liking. Centre for International Media Assistance. Retrieved May 15, 2020 from https://www.cima.ned.org/blog/distorting-news-africa-dictators-tried-shape-media-landscape-liking/
Survie (2019). Cameroun, une Poudrière au Cœur de la Françafrique. Paris : Survie.
Survie (2009). France-Afrique: Diplomatie, Business et Dictatures. Paris: Survie.
Tache, J. (2019). Neocolonialism Spurs Ongoing Crisis in Cameroon. Liberation. Newspaper of the Party for Socialism and Libertion, December 14 edition, pp. 8-9.
Takoungang, & Krieger (1998). State and Society in the 1990s, London: McMillan.
Taylor, I. (2019). France a Fric: The CFA Zone in Africa and Neo-Colonialism. Third World Quarterly, 40(6), pp. 1064-1088.
Teno, J.M. (1992). Afrique: je te plumerai [English: "Africa: I Will Fleece You"]. Dir., Prod., & Narr.: Jean-Marie Téno. [Videotape.] California Newsreel.
This is Africa (2019). Save Africa’s Media House for Authentic Stories. Start Some Good. Retrieved May 15,2020 from https://startsomegood.com/this-is-africa
Tirthankar, C. (2019). Les Armées Etrangères en Afrique: Vers une Compétition Stratégique. Afrique, édition du 4 Décembre, pp.34-39
Transparency International Cameroon (2018). Le Fruit de la Discord et sa Saveur Politique Acide. Comment la Banana Alimente la Corruption et la Violation des Droits de l’Homme à Njombe Penja (Littoral Cameroun). Yaoundé : Transparency International.
Vanderpool, D. (2019). What Africa Can Teach the US about Civility. The Dallas Morning News, January 5 Edition, pp. 17-18. Retrieved May 22, 2020 from https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/01/05/what-africa-can-teach-the-u-s-about-civility/