THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL TRUSTEESHIP OVER CAMEROON UNDER FRENCH ADMINISTRATION (1946 – 1960)

Samuel EFOUA MBOZO’O

Senior Lecturer

Department of History

Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences

University of Yaounde I

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this essay is to analyse and evaluate the procedure adopted by the United Nations, the tutelary body, to address the Cameroon question in accordance with the principles stipulated in the United Nations Charter and the trusteeship agreement signed with France on 13 December 1946. It also examines the political, economic and social challenges to which France was confronted as a result of her mandate over Cameroon. In short, the essay studies the nature and chain of events, factors and processes that occurred within the United Nations from 1946 and that culminated in the UN general Assembly resolution 1349 (XIII) of 13 March 1959 by which the United Nations acknowledged Cameroon’s independence and lifted its trusteeship over Cameroon under French administration on 1st January 1960, while postponing to a later date, general elections for the formation of an assembly that would decide on the definite institutions to be set up in Cameroon.

INTRODUCTION

On 1st January 1960, the former French-administered Cameroon became the first trust territory to accede to national and international sovereignty. One would have thought that this event would be unanimously hailed with warmth and enthusiasm; but, surprisingly, the abundant literature that more or less deals with this subject testifies to the existence of two opposing reactions (schools of thought).

For some, the independence of former French Cameroon was without doubt, a successful testing of the international trusteeship system since the political, economic and social objectives enunciated in the Charter and trusteeship agreement of 13 December 1946 had been achieved. (1) For others, very little development had been achieved and laid-down principles had often been flouted by the administering authority who, they maintained, did not always give priority to the interests of the inhabitants of the trust territory by enabling them to grow towards self-government. The administering authority instead sought to establish a new but more subtly type of political, economic and cultural domination over Cameroon. (2) As a result, Cameroon gained independence with its children disunited, afraid, uncertain; nay; independence came with blood and tears.(3)

On our part, we have found no difficulty in establishing the fact that there was a fairly clear contradiction in the situation. On the one hand, there were the principles enunciated in the Charter and the trusteeship agreement – principles whereby, the people of the trust territory, would, when the moment came, be allowed not only to freely evolve their own national policy, but also to choose the people to implement it. On the other hand, there was General Assembly resolution 1349 (XIII) of 13 March 1959 adopted by 56 yes, 0 against and 23 abstentions (4).By this resolution, UN general Assembly:

1- achnowledged Cameroon’s option for independence on 1st January 1960;

2- decided to simultaneously lift French trusteeship on Cameroon;

3- expressed confidence that elections would hold as early as possible after January

1st 1960, in order to create a new Assembly responsible to take decisions on the setting up of Institutions;

4- recommended lasthy that, Cameroon be admitted as UNO member upon gaining independence (5).

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