Cameroon

Cameroon lies at the crossroads between the English-speaking part of West Africa and French-speaking Central Africa. This is reflected in a rich cultural heritage marked by diverse influences.

For some time now, various factors in Cameroon have led to increasing instability in the country: Since 2016, a conflict has escalated in Cameroon's southwest, arising from the political repression of the English-speaking (Anglophone) minority. The crisis has so far claimed more than 3,000 lives and driven more than 700,000 people to flee their homes. In addition, the Islamic terrorist militia Boko Haram is carrying out attacks in the north, and in the east, displaced people from the civil war in the Central African Republic are seeking refuge. Elections in October 2018 resulted in another mandate for longtime President Paul Biya, despite significant doubts about the results; the opposition leader was arrested a few months later. He has since been released, though the balance of power has not changed.

Humanitarian aid in the conflict area

Mission 21 supports in particular the population in the English-speaking southwest of Cameroon with projects in the areas of education, health and theological education.

In 2018, to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in the context of the Anglophone crisis, Mission 21 launched a Emergency aid program which we can use to provide aid in addition to the regular projects, together with two churches and several non-governmental organizations.

The Cameroonian churches and local NGOs have great potential for containing the conflict and supporting the suffering people, as they are anchored and accepted in the population. Mission 21's humanitarian aid project uses this potential to build a comprehensive, sustainable humanitarian aid program, together with international organizations such as UN-OCHA.

► Background to the Anglophone crisis

Education

Mission 21 is convinced that a sound education in theology can help to overcome social tensions of different nature. The focus is on ecumenical openness with the inclusion of local traditions. The educational projects help to ensure a peaceful discussion of different values within the country. The participants deal critically with social issues and questions of faith and can actively contribute to the solution of problems.

Health

The state health structures in Cameroon are only weakly developed. The projects of Mission 21 and its partners therefore focus on basic medical care in rural areas. Basic medical care in camps for displaced persons is also part of this. Another focus is on the care of people living with the HIV virus, as well as general education campaigns on the subject of HIV and AIDS.

Partner on site

Reliable and locally anchored partners are of central importance for the successful and professional development and implementation of the projects. In the case of Cameroon, these are the "Presbyterian Church in Cameroon" (PCC), with which Mission 21 already has a long-standing relationship, as well as the "Protestant University of Central Africa" (PUCA) and "Aid International Christian Women of Vision" (AI-ChrisWov). For the "Emergency Relief and Reconstruction in Cameroon" program, Mission 21 also works with the Baptist Church, various local NGOs and UN-OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). Support for orphans was also expanded by continuing the work of the Martin Stucki Foundation.

The constant exchange and cooperation with the partner organizations ensure that the projects meet the needs of the local people. With Lumumba Mukong, Mission 21 has a coordinator who oversees the projects in Cameroon. He studied agricultural economics in England and then gained work experience with several NGOs in Cameroon.

The cooperation of Mission 21 and its partner organizations aims to enable people in Cameroon to live in dignity and to provide concrete assistance, especially in the tense situation. Since the outbreak of the unrest, internally displaced persons have also been included in the activities in all priority areas.