
The Cameroon War
A History of French Neocolonialism in Africa
Verso Books (Publisher)
Published on 29. July 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-1-78873-376-2 (ISBN)
Description
According to conventional wisdom, France's empire in sub- Saharan Africa ended peacefully. But this book tells a different story. The shocking violence of a secret war roiled Cameroon in the 1950s and '60s. A mass movement for self-determination had emerged under the leadership of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), and France responded with brutal repression. As in Algeria, French forces waged a bloody counterinsurgency campaign. They eventually eradicated the opposition and installed a client dictatorship in the capital, Yaounde.
With the world focused on the Algerian bloodbath, the conflict in Cameroon received little attention at the time. Its devastating aftermath - and tens of thousands of victims - were intentionally obscured by French authorities and their local collaborators. The Cameroon War uncovers this hidden history. It illuminates a forgotten struggle for decolonisation at the origin of neocolonial rule in Francophone Africa, a story that is still unfolding today.
With the world focused on the Algerian bloodbath, the conflict in Cameroon received little attention at the time. Its devastating aftermath - and tens of thousands of victims - were intentionally obscured by French authorities and their local collaborators. The Cameroon War uncovers this hidden history. It illuminates a forgotten struggle for decolonisation at the origin of neocolonial rule in Francophone Africa, a story that is still unfolding today.
Reviews / Votes
The Cameroon War throws a spotlight on an episode of Franco-Cameroonian history that is still passed over in silence -- Julien Le Gros * Le Point * A vital corrective to historical amnesia, The Cameroon War is replete with lessons for the present -- Musab Younis, author of <i>On the Scale of the World</i> A must-read for anyone interested in the history of national liberation in Africa -- Kevin Ochieng Okoth, author of <i>Red Africa</i>More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 207 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
182 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78873-376-2 (9781788733762)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Thomas Deltombe | Manuel Domergue | Jacob Tatsitsa
The Cameroon War
A History of French Neocolonialism in Africa
E-Book
07/2025
Verso Books
€24.49
Available for download
Persons
Thomas Deltombe is an editor and journalist who writes widely for the French press.
Manuel Domergue is Research Director at the Fondation Abbe Pierre and a regular contributor to Alternatives Economiques.
Jacob Tatsitsa is a Cameroonian historian who has taught at the University of Yaounde.
Manuel Domergue is Research Director at the Fondation Abbe Pierre and a regular contributor to Alternatives Economiques.
Jacob Tatsitsa is a Cameroonian historian who has taught at the University of Yaounde.