Building Peace Through National Dialogues: What Role for Civil Society Organisations in Cameroon and in Africa?

Abstract

In his quest to define peace, Johan Galtung, one of the pioneers in peace research, distinguishes two types of peace: positive and negative. While negative peace is perceived as the absence of human violence and war, positive peace represents the absence of structural violence. Overtime, Galtung's views have shaped contemporary peacebuilding processes and practices. The distinction between positive and negative peace underscores the need to consider both direct violence (protests, armed attacks, police brutality, etc.) and structural violence (inequalities, social discrimination, marginalization, etc.) in designing sustainable peacebuilding strategies. In recent decades, national dialogues have emerged as viable peacebuilding strategies to address historical, political and socioeconomic disputes. In principle, they should foster social cohesion by engaging various perspectives and ensuring that diverse voices are heard. Yet, most dialogue processes organized across Africa have failed; even a few that have ended with an agreement have suffered from poor implementation, leading to a relapse of violence. Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to national dialogues, it is essential to consider various factors contributing to their failures. The practical puzzle here is to explore strategies that can be employed to ensure that dialogue processes are successful and achieve their desired outcomes. Faced with this puzzle, this thesis responds to the question: What is the actual and potential role of civil society organizations in national dialogue processes in Cameroon and Africa? Civil society organizations can potentially play key roles in political processes such as national dialogues. CSOs can engage in discussions and collaborate with governments, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance the interests of the people they represent. Notwithstanding, elites and parties to conflict sometimes intimidate civil society organizations using different means, including open crackdowns on their activities, unlawful arrests and persecution, and misuse of state instruments such as terrorism laws, to silence them. While a few civil society organizations can overcome these oppressions, in Cameroon and other African countries, such practices have limited the strength and ability of many CSOs to engage in peace processes. Although the literature on civil society and their role in peacebuilding and national dialogues has grown significantly in recent years, there is still a need for more rigorous research on the impact and effectiveness of CSOs in national dialogues. Much of the existing literature focuses on well-known, often international, civil society organizations, overlooking the roles and contributions of local and grassroots organizations, especially those working in fragile and conflict-affected states. Moreover, while the importance of inclusivity in national dialogues is widely acknowledged, there is a gap in understanding how and why CSOs are often marginalized, particularly by state-based elites, and the different options for addressing power imbalances in peace processes. This thesis contributes to the literature on civil society and peacebuilding by addressing these gaps. Based on data collected through literature review, interviews, and field observations, the thesis argues that national dialogue processes can be manipulated and rendered unproductive when civil society's role is minimal, or their inclusion is approached superficially. I posit that a social contract between the state and the population and a certain level of social cohesion is necessary to encourage the transparent inclusion of politically marginalized actors in African dialogue processes. Based on primary data from Cameroon, the research findings suggest that elites have deceptively used catchphrases and other false narratives to discredit the legitimate grievances of civil society organizations, intimidating or preventing them from challenging existing power structures. This has often reinforced deeply rooted mistrust and inequalities. The literature on the local turn in peacebuilding emphasizes the significance of employing local agency and contextual knowledge for effective peacebuilding. These normative principles could potentially address Cameroon's Anglophone crisis. However, their application in practice (through national dialogues) has unfortunately reinforced power imbalances and the marginalization of civil society and other non-state actors. This thesis concludes that including CSOs in national dialogues is essential for ensuring transparency, addressing power imbalances, and fostering social cohesion. It provides valuable suggestions on how national dialogue stakeholders in Cameroon and beyond can approach meaningful inclusion.