Communities are marginalized in rural Cameroon for lack of birth certificates

August 30, 2021

3 minutes read

cameroon

The morning sun illuminated a village in Cameroon, where the Baka Indigenous community found solace under the forest canopy. Yet the tranquility was shattered by a passing truck, reminding them of their displacement and the uneasy life they now lead along roadways.

For generations, the Baka and the nearby Bagyieli people thrived in harmony with the forests of central Africa. However, their way of life is increasingly threatened by mining, logging, and the establishment of conservation areas, alongside government policies aiming to integrate these communities into broader society.

Rebecca Gwampiel, a 78-year-old Baka woman, reminisced about better times spent in the forest while preparing yam porridge in front of a traditional hut. Nearby, children played football with makeshift balls made of banana leaves.

Among them was 11-year-old Francis, who expressed his ambition to become a nurse to help his grandmother when she is unwell. However, for many Baka children, aspirations like Francis’s remain unfulfilled due to the lack of birth certificates. This absence poses a significant hurdle, as many in the community have never seen the need for such documents, having lived mostly isolated from administrative systems.

Francis’s father, Bertrand Akomi, 61, shared his frustration, explaining how he was denied a job at a lumber company because he lacked a birth certificate. This issue affects over 120,000 individuals in the Baka and Bagyieli communities, preventing them from obtaining national identity documents and enjoying the full rights of citizenship.

Banmi Emmanuel Dingha, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Cameroon’s National Assembly, emphasized the importance of birth registration for accessing education, healthcare, and job opportunities. There is hope for progress; recently, Dingha and other parliament members passed a bill that could help Cameroon join two United Nations conventions aimed at recognizing stateless individuals.

This legislative move is part of a broader commitment by African nations to tackle statelessness and affirm the right to nationality, which affects over 1.3 billion people on the continent. The Baka people, traditionally hunters and gatherers, often traverse lightly guarded borders in search of resources, and their presence extends beyond Cameroon into neighboring countries like Congo, the Central African Republic, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.

In the southern Campo region, where the Bagyieli reside, Henri Lema returned from a hunt, expressing his frustrations over the lack of identification documents. He faced harassment from paramilitary forces whenever he traveled to the district headquarters, leading to costly bribes for transport.

Simplice Nguiamba, a senior government official, explained that efforts are being made to ensure the Bagyieli have access to nationality documents through awareness campaigns and advocacy.

Additionally, other Cameroonian groups face similar challenges related to statelessness due to ongoing conflicts, such as the separatist crisis in the English-speaking regions and the Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North, which have caused many to lose their essential identification documents.

Share:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Related Links

Olakunle Nafiu

NYSC Highlights Employer Rejection Concerns

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has raised alarm over the growing trend of employers ...

heat

Morocco Heat Wave Drives Surge in Air Conditioning Demand

Morocco is grappling with a severe heatwave this summer, with temperatures soaring well above average ...

Trump

U.S. Hosts Five West and Central African Leaders in Strategic Summit

The United States is hosting a landmark two-day summit at the White House, beginning Wednesday, ...

West Africa

West African Cocoa Output Set to Drop 10% in 2025/26 Season

West African cocoa production is projected to decline by 10% in the 2025/26 season, extending ...

Features

heat

Morocco Heat Wave Drives Surge in Air Conditioning Demand

Morocco is grappling with a severe heatwave this summer, with temperatures soaring well above average ...

UK

UK and US Clamp Down on Nigerian Visas:What Does It Really Mean?

The United Kingdom and United States have recently tightened visa policies for Nigerian citizens, sparking ...

Netherlands Returns 119 Looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the Netherlands returned 119 looted artifacts, known as the Benin ...

Ngugi-wa-Thiongo

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o:Passed the pen to the Next Generation.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, a legendary Kenyan writer, scholar, and revolutionary voice in African literature passed ...

ECOWAS

ECOWAS Celebrates 50th Anniversary Amid Sahel States Tensions

On May 28, 1975, fifteen West African nations signed the Lagos Treaty, establishing the Economic ...

What Really Moves Bitcoin’s Price? A Comprehensive Guide to the Key Drivers of Volatility and Value

What Really Moves Bitcoin’s Price? A Comprehensive Guide to the Key Drivers of Volatility and Value

​Bitcoin, the pioneering cryptocurrency, has captivated the financial world with its innovative technology and notable ...

Guinea Sets September 2025 Date for Constitutional Referendum as Military Inches Toward Democratic Transition

Guinea Sets September 2025 Date for Constitutional Referendum as Military Inches Toward Democratic Transition

Guinea’s military-led government has officially announced that a national referendum on a new constitution will ...

Ivory Coast economic growth

Côte d’Ivoire’s Economic Boom Faces Political Test in 2025 Election

Ivory Coast’s Economic Success: A Model for West Africa Côte d’Ivoire has emerged as one ...

Latest News

Today in History

July 10th is the day in 138 that Emperor Hadrian dies after a heart failure at Baiae, he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina.

Exchange Rate Per Dollar

AM Armenian Dram382.6962
GH Ghana Cedi10.4
GM Gambian Dalasi71.5
GN Guinea Franc8,668.68
NG Nigerian Naira₦1,528
CF CFA Franc BEAC558.7784
10 Jul · CurrencyRate · USD
CurrencyRate.Today
Check: 10 Jul 2025 06:05 UTC
Latest change: 10 Jul 2025 06:00 UTC
API: CurrencyRate
Disclaimers. This plugin or website cannot guarantee the accuracy of the exchange rates displayed. You should confirm current rates before making any transactions that could be affected by changes in the exchange rates.
You can install this WP plugin on your website from the WordPress official website: Exchange Rates🚀

YOUR THOUGHTS

Let us know what you think

Contact the People’s Paper with feedback on stories and how we could make wapress.africa even better!

newsletter image

Stay up to date with the latest from West Africa Press

Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on WApress.

Subscribe Newsletter!

Be the first to receive our latest contents and more...

Need help?