This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
Published on October 1, 2019, the US embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon, announced that it would be willing to play a role in identifying a solution to the Anglophone crisis, which has left over 3,000 people dead since 2017.
The crisis began in 2017, with the secessionist movement in the English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest Cameroon demanding independence from the French-speaking majority.
US officials have urged all parties involved in the conflict to engage in dialogue without preconditions, citing the need for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
However, the talks have been marred by the absence of hardline separatist leaders and opposition politicians, with moderates calling for the talks to be given a chance.
"The US urges all those involved in the conflict in the Northwest and Southwest to abjure further violence and enter into an open-ended dialogue without precondition," a US embassy statement read.
The US move comes after a major national dialogue was convened by President Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, in an attempt to resolve the crisis.
However, the talks have been criticized for excluding key separatist leaders and anglophone politicians, with the International Crisis Group warning that this could empower hardliners.
