Stretching from the fringes of the Sahara in the north to the
borders of Congo and Gabon in the south, Cameroon is a striking
study in diversity. The country’s four distinct geographic
regions encompass everything from lush rain forests to rugged
volcanic peaks, from spectacular waterfalls to the cruel beauty
of the desert landscape. And Cameroon’s ethnic make-up is no
less varied than its geography. The north is populated by Hausa,
Fulbé, Sudanese, and Choa Arab peoples; in the west the Bamiléké
are the largest ethnic group, followed by the Tiker and the
Bamoun; and the area south of the River Sanaga is home to
several Bantu groups, among them, Fang, Ewondo, Boulou, Eton,
Bassa, Bakoko, and Douala. Combined with Cameroon’s colonial
past of German, French, and British occupation, the country has
a complicated ethnic identity. The School for International
Training’s (SIT) Cameroon Social Pluralism and Development
Program is based in the capital city of Yaoundé. The program
devotes itself to examining several c