Historian Flags Gaps in Franco-Cameroonian Colonial Commission Findings

Cameroonian historian Prof. Victor Julius Ngoh has expressed reservations about the findings of a joint Franco-Cameroonian commission. It was established to investigate France’s role in Cameroon during the colonial and post-colonial periods. In July 2022, Presidents Paul Biya and Emmanuel Macron formed the commission to assess events between 1945 and 1971, focusing on the suppression of nationalist movements.

Appearing on CRTV’s Cameroon Calling, Prof. Ngoh highlighted what he described as “loopholes” in the commission’s methodology and questioned its impartiality.

“I am not comfortable with the committee that did the work,” Prof. Ngoh said. “There were several loopholes.”

Concerns Over Commission Leadership and Composition

French historian Karine Ramondy and Cameroonian musician Blick Bassy co-chaired the 14-member commission. While it acknowledged France’s involvement in violent repression, it also placed some responsibility on Cameroonian authorities for the deaths of nationalist figures.

Prof. Ngoh criticised the decision to appoint a French citizen to lead a commission tasked with evaluating France’s own colonial conduct.

“It is just like a slave owner calling on the slave to write the history of the slave master in treating the slave, and the slave master is in charge. Of course the pains, the difficulties, and the harsh treatment the slave master gave the slave will not be reported,” he said.

Doubts Over Use of Historical Evidence

Ngoh stated that although the commission referenced his published works, it did so without adequately consulting relevant archival materials or engaging directly with him to verify content.

“In certain parts of the work, they mentioned Victor Julius Ngoh and his publications. They said Victor Julius Ngoh said this, but Prof. Fanso and others said that and left it like that, without saying that based on the document we have, this is what happened,” he said.

He added that some archival sources in Buea were not reviewed, despite being directly relevant.

“But I asked, ‘Did you consult this document?’ They said no,” Ngoh explained.

He also noted the absence of senior Cameroonian experts in the commission, such as Prof. Mamadan Nwayaka, a respected military historian.

“We are talking of military history and one of the finest military historians in Cameroon, Prof. Mamadan Nwayaka; unfortunately was not a member.”

Scientific Validity Versus Composition

When asked whether the issue lay in the commission’s composition or its findings, Ngoh replied:

“Both.”

He emphasized that excluding domain experts weakened the credibility of the report.

“The experts in the field, in the particular areas of history, were left out.”

While acknowledging the work done, Ngoh concluded that “there are loopholes that need to be addressed.”

Prof. Willibroad Dze Ngwa Offers a Different Perspective

One of the Cameroonian members of the commission, Prof. Willibroad Dze Ngwa, offered a different view. Speaking to Justice Info, he expressed satisfaction with the report’s content.

“It has brought new statistics, new revelations, new ideas and sources of documentation,” he said.

Addressing criticism over the lack of calls for reparations or declarations of genocide, Dze Ngwa clarified the commission’s mandate.

“We did not go to the field as lawyers and magistrates to pass judgement. We went to the field as historians to establish facts and figures, so we could not declare that the war in Cameroon was a genocide, because that was not our mission.”

He suggested that some criticisms may stem from professional rivalries.

“Every researcher in the field would want to be part of a commission that could make history.”

National Unity Day Context

The debate around the commission’s findings comes as Cameroon prepares to celebrate the 53rd edition of National Unity Day on May 20. The day commemorates the 1972 referendum. It led to the abolition of the federal system and the unification of West and East Cameroon. Many attribute the ongoing crisis in the Anglophone regions to this referendum.

Some analysts, including Prof. Ngoh, argue that unresolved issues from the colonial and post-colonial eras continue to affect national unity.

He pointed out the 1961 Foumban Conference. This is where Southern Cameroons’ Prime Minister, John Ngu Foncha, reportedly failed to present the draft constitution to his colleagues before they made critical decisions.

Mimi Mefo Info