The Protection and Integration of Displaced Persons within the Kadey Division of the East Region of Cameroon: Measures, Challenges and Impact

ABSTRACT:Among the seven Divisions of the East Region of Cameroon, the Kadey has been referred to as “a new haven” and has acted as a sanctuary to Internationally and Internally Displaced Persons from other central African states and from within Cameroon. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the situation of Central Africa Refugees (CARs) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within the Division. From findings, there were different integrationist strategies that were employed by stakeholders. In conformity with the 2005 Laws relating to the status of refugees in Cameroon, the CARs were allocated Lolo, Mbile, Timangolo and Gbiti as special settlement sites in the Kadey Division by the government of the Republic of Cameroon. As a corollary to these measures, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) carried out measures rotating around the issuing of identification papers which permitted them to move freely and to benefit from the free humanitarian emoluments provided by national and the international donors. Similarly, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence crusades were carried out in the area to ensure the habilitation of these CARs and IDPs. Since education tops the agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the CARs and IDPs were admitted in both primary and secondary educational institutions in the Kadey. To ensure better health standards for them, the CARs and the IDPs in the Kadey Division were reached by the “Flying Doctors”, both at the settlement sites and government hospitals of the Division. Despite these humanitarian gestures, the CARs and the IDPs faced a number of challenges in integrating into the local community of the Division. The challenges ranged from little knowledge on basic human and refugees’ rights, xenophobic tendencies emanating from the host communities among other challenges. The integration of CARs and IDPs in the Kadey Division of the East Region has thus produced opposing outcomes which on the one hand led to the enforcement of diplomatic ties between Cameroon, Central African Republic and the UNHCR and on the other hand, has raised security issues in the area through the expansion of rebel and criminal networks.
KEYWORDS:Cameroon, East Region, Integration, Internally Displaced Persons, Kadey Division, Protection,
Refugees