Emile Sunjo | University of Buea (original) (raw)
Papers by Emile Sunjo
EPH - International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Dec 7, 2023
African Geographical Review, 2024
An experimental workshop brought together 20 stand-up comedians,environmental advocates, artists,... more An experimental workshop brought together 20 stand-up comedians,environmental advocates, artists, researchers, and professors inYaoundé, Cameroon on 27 and 28 March 2023. Building upon historicaltraditions of les griots and the popularity of contemporary comedic ora-tion in Cameroon, our collaborative and interactive workshop centeredefforts to move beyond dominant and colonial formulas to think crea-tively about the potentials, limitations, and logistics of humor asa methodological orientation. In this coauthored reflection, we build onthe emergent insights generated during our workshop and proposefuture directions for social scientists and geographers keen to mobilizehumor in their intellectual projects. We consider (a) the relations betweenhumor and socio-political and socio-ecological dynamics (including inpolitical contexts of authoritarianism); (b) the need to ground an academicmethodology of humor in nuanced and place-based knowledges; and(c) the possibilities and dangers of humor in a wider intellectual praxisseeking to decenter and deprivilege power in research relations and tomotivate certain forms of self-critique during research. More broadly, weargue that humor might contribute in the larger ongoing project ofmoving African geographical scholarship toward practices of creativity,experimentation, and joy beyond ‘damage-centered, deficit-centered, andextractive academic approaches.
African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, 2024
This article analyzes the historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel, with a fo... more This article analyzes the historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel, with a focus on Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. It examines how historical factors have evolved to nurture a plethora of violent extremist organizations (VEOs) operating in the region, making it the epicenter of violent extremism in 2023. These historical factors include the influence of religion, Tuareg rebellions (1963, 1990, and 2012) in Mali, the spillover effects of the Algerian Civil War of 1992, the impact of the Libyan crisis in 2011, and the Fulani crisis in Central Mali. The study argues that historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel have remained dormant for decades but were recently reignited by contemporary factors such as governance failures. The article is based on in-depth Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGD), and the analysis of secondary sources. The findings of the study reveal that historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel have persisted due to
oral tradition and the use of information and communication technology (ICT), which has perpetuated
extremist ideologies across generations. Therefore, strategies to counter violent extremism in the region must prioritize mainstreaming de-radicalization with alternate narratives, education, good governance, and economic development, rather than relying solely on a military combat-dominated approach.
Key words: Violent extremism, historical factors, violent extremist organisations, and African Sahel.
African Affairs
Land that was appropriated in the colonial period is only rarely returned to African claimants. D... more Land that was appropriated in the colonial period is only rarely returned to African claimants. Drawing largely on interviews from 2018, this article examines a process of surrendering parcels of state-managed plantation land to Bakweri communities in the South-West Region of Cameroon, which has been operating since 2003. The article not only analyses the national political effects of the scheme, but also engages with debates about interpretive frameworks by contrasting neopatrimonial and political settlements (PS) approaches. The article argues that the original intention of the land restitution scheme may have been to benefit some local communities, but it also reduced effective opposition to the national government by undermining Bakweri institutions and unity. It sustained established national political arrangements by generating significant rents, which are distributed among the government’s supporters in exchange for loyalty. The article argues that this part of the argument w...
Regional Economic Integration is a crucial approach in pulling together resources of member-state... more Regional Economic Integration is a crucial approach in pulling together resources of member-states to attain developmental objectives especially in regions where single states are economically and politically too fragile to harness these resources on their own. But this lofty goal cannot be attained in an atmosphere of conflict and insecurity. This paper therefore attempts, with the case of Central Africa, to bring out how the prevalence of conflicts and insecurity can impact negatively on the original economic objectives of an integration scheme. The paper argues, amongst others, that despite this apparent commitment towards peace and security, the exclusively military approach adopted by the sub regional leaders has not been very effective, as the sub region remains one of the most conflict-ridden on the continent. To this effect, a more comprehensive approach to security which takes into consideration the root causes of conflict is highly recommended.
EPH - International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Dec 7, 2023
African Geographical Review, 2024
An experimental workshop brought together 20 stand-up comedians,environmental advocates, artists,... more An experimental workshop brought together 20 stand-up comedians,environmental advocates, artists, researchers, and professors inYaoundé, Cameroon on 27 and 28 March 2023. Building upon historicaltraditions of les griots and the popularity of contemporary comedic ora-tion in Cameroon, our collaborative and interactive workshop centeredefforts to move beyond dominant and colonial formulas to think crea-tively about the potentials, limitations, and logistics of humor asa methodological orientation. In this coauthored reflection, we build onthe emergent insights generated during our workshop and proposefuture directions for social scientists and geographers keen to mobilizehumor in their intellectual projects. We consider (a) the relations betweenhumor and socio-political and socio-ecological dynamics (including inpolitical contexts of authoritarianism); (b) the need to ground an academicmethodology of humor in nuanced and place-based knowledges; and(c) the possibilities and dangers of humor in a wider intellectual praxisseeking to decenter and deprivilege power in research relations and tomotivate certain forms of self-critique during research. More broadly, weargue that humor might contribute in the larger ongoing project ofmoving African geographical scholarship toward practices of creativity,experimentation, and joy beyond ‘damage-centered, deficit-centered, andextractive academic approaches.
African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, 2024
This article analyzes the historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel, with a fo... more This article analyzes the historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel, with a focus on Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. It examines how historical factors have evolved to nurture a plethora of violent extremist organizations (VEOs) operating in the region, making it the epicenter of violent extremism in 2023. These historical factors include the influence of religion, Tuareg rebellions (1963, 1990, and 2012) in Mali, the spillover effects of the Algerian Civil War of 1992, the impact of the Libyan crisis in 2011, and the Fulani crisis in Central Mali. The study argues that historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel have remained dormant for decades but were recently reignited by contemporary factors such as governance failures. The article is based on in-depth Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGD), and the analysis of secondary sources. The findings of the study reveal that historical drivers of violent extremism in the African Sahel have persisted due to
oral tradition and the use of information and communication technology (ICT), which has perpetuated
extremist ideologies across generations. Therefore, strategies to counter violent extremism in the region must prioritize mainstreaming de-radicalization with alternate narratives, education, good governance, and economic development, rather than relying solely on a military combat-dominated approach.
Key words: Violent extremism, historical factors, violent extremist organisations, and African Sahel.
African Affairs
Land that was appropriated in the colonial period is only rarely returned to African claimants. D... more Land that was appropriated in the colonial period is only rarely returned to African claimants. Drawing largely on interviews from 2018, this article examines a process of surrendering parcels of state-managed plantation land to Bakweri communities in the South-West Region of Cameroon, which has been operating since 2003. The article not only analyses the national political effects of the scheme, but also engages with debates about interpretive frameworks by contrasting neopatrimonial and political settlements (PS) approaches. The article argues that the original intention of the land restitution scheme may have been to benefit some local communities, but it also reduced effective opposition to the national government by undermining Bakweri institutions and unity. It sustained established national political arrangements by generating significant rents, which are distributed among the government’s supporters in exchange for loyalty. The article argues that this part of the argument w...
Regional Economic Integration is a crucial approach in pulling together resources of member-state... more Regional Economic Integration is a crucial approach in pulling together resources of member-states to attain developmental objectives especially in regions where single states are economically and politically too fragile to harness these resources on their own. But this lofty goal cannot be attained in an atmosphere of conflict and insecurity. This paper therefore attempts, with the case of Central Africa, to bring out how the prevalence of conflicts and insecurity can impact negatively on the original economic objectives of an integration scheme. The paper argues, amongst others, that despite this apparent commitment towards peace and security, the exclusively military approach adopted by the sub regional leaders has not been very effective, as the sub region remains one of the most conflict-ridden on the continent. To this effect, a more comprehensive approach to security which takes into consideration the root causes of conflict is highly recommended.