History of Cameroon in Timeline

Cameroon is a Central African country bordering Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo. Its coastline is on the Bight of Biafra. With a population of nearly 31 million, Cameroon has 250 native languages, along with English and French. Early inhabitants included the Sao civilisation and Baka hunter-gatherers. Portuguese explorers arrived in the 15th century, naming it Rio dos Camarões, which became Cameroon. The Adamawa Emirate was founded in the north by Fulani soldiers in the 19th century, while chiefdoms and fondoms were established by ethnic groups in the west and northwest.

1913: Anglo-German Agreement

In 1913, the Anglo-German Agreement gave sovereignty to Cameroon over the Bakassi peninsula, according to the ICJ ruling in 2002.

1919: Division into French and British Cameroon

In 1919, Kamerun was split into French Cameroon and British Cameroon as League of Nations mandate territories.

1932: Creation of Protected Reserves

In 1932, the protected areas were first created in the northern region under the colonial administration; the first two reserves established were Mozogo Gokoro Reserve and the Bénoué Reserve.

March 1934: Establishment of Waza Reserve

On 24 March 1934, the Waza Reserve was established.

1946: League of Nations mandates converted into United Nations Trusteeships

In 1946, the League of Nations mandates were converted into United Nations Trusteeships, and the question of independence became a pressing issue in French Cameroon.

July 1955: Outlawing of the UPC political party

On 13 July 1955, France outlawed the pro-independence political party, the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), which prompted a long guerrilla war.

January 1960: Independence of French Cameroun

On 1 January 1960, French Cameroun gained independence from France under President Ahmadou Ahidjo as the Republic of Cameroon.

1960: Independence of French-administered Cameroon

In 1960, the French-administered part of Cameroon became independent as the Republic of Cameroun, under President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

1960: Independence

Since independence in 1960, the military has been crucial in supporting Cameroon's authoritarian government.

October 1961: Independence and merger of British Southern Cameroons

On 1 October 1961, the formerly British Southern Cameroons gained independence from the United Kingdom and merged into the Republic of Cameroon to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.

1961: Federation with British Cameroons

In 1961, the southern part of British Cameroons federated with the Republic of Cameroun to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.

September 1966: CNU becomes sole legal political party

On 1 September 1966, Ahidjo's political party, the Cameroon National Union (CNU), became the sole legal political party.

1971: Suppression of the UPC

Even after the suppression of the UPC in 1971, Ahidjo used the ongoing war with the UPC to concentrate power in the presidency.

1971: End of national liberation insurgency

In early 1971, the national liberation insurgency, which was fought between French and UPC militant forces, ended.

May 1972: Referendum to abolish federal system

On 20 May 1972, a referendum was passed to abolish the federal system of government in favour of a United Republic of Cameroon.

1972: Abandonment of federation

In 1972, the federation between the former French and British territories was abandoned and the country was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon.

May 1975: Change of national flag

On 20 May 1975, the national flag was changed with the two stars removed and replaced with a large central star as a symbol of national unity.

1975: Biya becomes prime minister

In 1975, Paul Biya held office as prime minister.

November 1982: Ahidjo steps down, Biya takes power

On 4 November 1982, Ahidjo stepped down and left power to his constitutional successor, Paul Biya.

1982: Biya becomes president

In 1982, President Paul Biya became the leader of Cameroon, following the resignation of Ahmadou Ahidjo.

1982: FIFA World Cup

In 1982, the Cameroon national football team had a strong showing in the FIFA World Cup.

1984: Country renamed Republic of Cameroon

In 1984, the country was renamed back to the Republic of Cameroon by a presidential decree by President Paul Biya.

August 1986: Lake Nyos Disaster

On 21 August 1986, Lake Nyos belched carbon dioxide and killed between 1,700 and 2,000 people.

1986: Decline in Petroleum Exploitation

Petroleum exploitation has fallen since 1986, significantly impacting the economy.

1987: Dja Faunal Reserve becomes World Heritage Site

In 1987, Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon's first World Heritage Site, was inscribed on the list by UNESCO.

December 1990: Reintroduction of multi-party politics

In December 1990, Cameroon saw the reintroduction of multi-party politics, and former British Southern Cameroons pressure groups called for greater autonomy.

December 1990: Multi-party politics introduced

Until December 1990, President Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) was the only legal political party.

1990: Forest cover

In 1990, Cameroon's forest cover was at 22,500,000 hectares.

1992: 1992 Labour Code of Cameroon

In 1992, The 1992 Labour Code of Cameroon gives workers the freedom to belong to a trade union or not to belong to any trade union at all.

1994: Cameroon petitions ICJ

In 1994, Cameroon petitioned the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute with Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula.

1996: Attempt to establish a cease-fire

In 1996 Cameroon and Nigeria attempted to establish a cease-fire over the Bakassi peninsula dispute, however fighting continued for years.

1996: Establishment of the Senate

In 1996, the 1996 constitution establishes a second house of parliament, the 100-seat Senate.

1997: Establishment of anti-corruption bureaus

In 1997, Cameroon established anti-corruption bureaus in 29 ministries, but only 25% became operational.

1998: Government Revenue from Logging

As of 1998, logging provides the government US$60 million a year in taxes.

2000: Olympics Gold Medal

In 2000, Cameroon won the gold medal at the Olympics.

2002: ICJ rules in favor of Cameroon

In 2002, the ICJ ruled that the Anglo-German Agreement of 1913 gave sovereignty of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon.

2004: Nigeria fails to meet the deadline to hand over the peninsula.

By 2004, Nigeria had failed to meet the deadline to hand over the Bakassi peninsula.

2004: Start of Debt Reduction

During the 2004–2008 period, public debt was reduced from over 60% of GDP to 10%.

2004: Fairtrade Cotton Production

Production of Fairtrade cotton was initiated in Cameroon in 2004.

2005: Increased Kidnappings by Bandits

Kidnappings of Cameroonian citizens by Central African bandits have increased since 2005.

2005: Increased Road Banditry

Since 2005, road banditry has intensified in the east as the Central African Republic has further destabilised.

January 2006: Biya initiates anti-corruption drive

On 18 January 2006, Biya initiated an anti-corruption drive under the direction of the National Anti-Corruption Observatory.

June 2006: UN-mediated summit on Bakassi peninsula

In June 2006, a UN-mediated summit facilitated an agreement for Nigeria to withdraw from the Bakassi region.

June 2006: Resolution of Bakassi peninsula dispute

In June 2006, talks concerning a territorial dispute over the Bakassi peninsula were resolved between Cameroon and Nigeria.

August 2006: Withdrawal and handover of control completed

By August 2006, the withdrawal and handover of control of the Bakassi peninsula was completed.

August 2006: Handover of northern Bakassi peninsula

In August 2006, the northern portion of the Bakassi peninsula was formally handed over to the Cameroonian government.

2007: Refugee and Asylum Seeker Count

In 2007, Cameroon hosted approximately 97,400 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from the Central African Republic and Chad.

February 2008: Violent protests

In February 2008, Cameroon experienced its worst violence in 15 years when a transport union strike in Douala escalated into violent protests in 31 municipal areas.

2008: End of Debt Reduction Period

During the 2004–2008 period, official reserves quadrupled to over US$3 billion.

2008: Remainder of Bakassi Peninsula handed over to Cameroon

In 2008, the remainder of the Bakassi Peninsula was handed over to Cameroon.

November 2009: Militants lay down their arms

In November 2009, most militants laid down their arms in the Bakassi Peninsula.

2012: Transparency International corruption ranking

In 2012, Transparency International placed Cameroon at number 144 on a list of 176 countries ranked from least to most corrupt.

2012: Life Expectancy

In 2012, life expectancy at birth in Cameroon was estimated to be 56 years.

2012: Deadly Diseases

In 2012, the top three deadly diseases in Cameroon were HIV/AIDS, lower respiratory tract infection, and diarrheal diseases.

2013: Female Genital Mutilation Statistics

According to a 2013 UNICEF report, 1% of women in Cameroon have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

2013: Fertility Rate

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fertility rate in Cameroon was 4.8 in 2013 with a population growth rate of 2.56%.

2013: Primary School Enrollment Rate

In 2013, the primary school enrollment rate in Cameroon was 93.5%.

May 2014: Cameroon declares war on Boko Haram

In May 2014, in the wake of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, Cameroon declared war on Boko Haram, deploying troops to the Nigerian border.

December 2014: Boko Haram attacks Cameroon

In December 2014, Boko Haram launched several attacks into Cameroon, killing 84 civilians in a raid.

December 2014: Child Labor in Cocoa Production

In December 2014, a List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor mentioned Cameroon among the countries that resorted to child labor in the production of cocoa.

2014: Poverty Level

In 2014, 23.8% of the population was living below the international poverty threshold of US$1.90 a day.

2014: Healthcare Expenditure

In 2014, just 4.1% of total GDP expenditure was allocated to healthcare.

2014: Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

In 2014, the contraceptive prevalence rate in Cameroon was estimated to be just 34.4%.

2014: Refugee Influx

In the first months of 2014, thousands of refugees fleeing the violence in the Central African Republic arrived in Cameroon.

2014: Kribi Deepwater Port Operations

Kribi Deepwater Port started operations in 2014.

2014: Boko Haram Combat

Since 2014, the military has been involved in combating Boko Haram.

January 2015: Cameroon defeats Boko Haram raid

In January 2015, Cameroon defeated Boko Haram in a raid.

2015: Forest Area within Protected Areas

Around 15% of the forest area was found within protected areas in 2015, with 100% of the forest area reported to be under public ownership.

November 2016: Anglophone protests begin

In November 2016, protests from the predominantly English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions began campaigning for continued use of the English language in schools and courts.

December 2016: Women Africa Cup of Nations

In December 2016, Cameroon hosted the Women Africa Cup of Nations.

2016: HIV/AIDS Prevalence

In 2016, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Cameroon was estimated at 3.8% for those aged 15–49, with a high number of deaths due to AIDS.

2017: Government blocks internet access

In 2017, Biya's government blocked the regions' access to the Internet for three months.

2017: Per Capita GDP

In 2017, Cameroon's per capita GDP (Purchasing power parity) was estimated at US$3,700.

2017: Internet shutdown in English-speaking region

In 2017, President Biya shut down the Internet in the English-speaking region for 94 days.

2017: Agriculture Contribution to GDP

In 2017, agriculture comprised an estimated 16.7% of GDP.

2017: Anglophone Protests and Crisis

In 2017, language protests by the Anglophone population against perceived oppression by francophone speakers led to military deployment, deaths, imprisonment, and the declaration of an independent Republic of Ambazonia, evolving into the Anglophone Crisis.

2017: Escalation of Ambazonian conflict

In 2017, tensions over the creation of an Ambazonian state in the English-speaking territories escalated into open warfare.

2017: Anglophone Separatist Movement

Since 2017, the military has been handling the Anglophone separatist movement.

July 2018: UN Concern over Human Rights

On 25 July 2018, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein expressed deep concern about reports of violations and abuses in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon.

September 2018: Cameroon declares victory over Boko Haram

In September 2018, Cameroon declared victory over Boko Haram on Cameroonian territory.

2018: Transparency International corruption ranking worsens

In 2018, Transparency International ranked Cameroon 152 on a list of 180 countries, indicating corruption has worsened.

July 2019: Cameroon defends China's treatment of Uyghurs

In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including Cameroon, signed a joint letter to the UNHRC defending China's treatment of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region.

2019: Fighting between separatist guerillas and government forces continues

As of 2019, fighting between separatist guerillas and government forces continues.

2019: Unemployment Rate

In 2019, unemployment was estimated at 3.38%.

February 2020: Last parliamentary elections

The last parliamentary elections were held on 9 February 2020.

June 2020: Internal Displacement Estimate

It is estimated that by June 2020, 740,000 people had been internally displaced as a result of the Anglophone Crisis.

December 2020: Boko Haram Attacks

Since December 2020, the Islamist armed group Boko Haram has stepped up attacks and killed at least 80 civilians in towns and villages in the Far North region of Cameroon.

2020: Increase in terrorist attacks

During 2020, numerous terrorist attacks and government reprisals have led to bloodshed throughout the country.

2020: African Nations Championship

In 2020, Cameroon hosted the African Nations Championship.

2020: Forest Cover in Cameroon

In 2020, the forest cover in Cameroon was around 43% of the total land area, equivalent to 20,340,480 hectares.

December 2021: Ethnic clashes lead to displacement

In December 2021, more than 30,000 people in northern Cameroon fled to Chad after ethnic clashes over access to water between Musgum fishermen and ethnic Arab Choa herders.