For decades, Cameroon has been central to France’s strategy in Central Africa. From the oil refineries at SONARA to the fertile estates of CDC, from control of the CFA franc to privileged military access, France treated Cameroon as a linchpin of its regional influence.
By Michael Kings for the Independentist
The launch of AfroLeaks—a bold new digital investigative platform—comes at a time when Africa’s information wars collide with deeper geopolitical tremors. France, long the dominant external actor in Cameroon, is watching its grip weaken. AfroLeaks’ mission to expose hidden stories is not just about journalism; it intersects with the unraveling of Françafrique in one of its last strongholds.
France’s Stake in Cameroon
For decades, Cameroon has been central to France’s strategy in Central Africa. From the oil refineries at SONARA to the fertile estates of CDC, from control of the CFA franc to privileged military access, France treated Cameroon as a linchpin of its regional influence. Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia), annexed in 1961 without a Union Treaty, became an unwilling part of this system.
France has often justified its presence in Cameroon and across Africa as necessary for stability, counterterrorism, and economic development. French officials point to cooperation in fighting Boko Haram in the Far North, infrastructure projects, and education programs as evidence of a constructive partnership.
But critics argue that these benefits have come at the price of sovereignty and transparency. The Biya regime, backed for decades by French diplomatic and military support, has relied on repressive tactics to maintain order—tactics increasingly challenged by international law and diaspora voices.
DGRE and the Machinery of Silence
The Direction Générale de la Recherche Extérieure (DGRE) epitomizes this tension. Its operations abroad—kidnapping, intimidation, and judicial maneuvers—represent the extension of state repression into global arenas. AfroLeaks’ whistleblower platform directly threatens this strategy, providing a channel for insiders to leak evidence of complicity, corruption, and collaboration.
France insists it does not control Cameroon’s internal security apparatus. Yet historically, French security cooperation has influenced how Yaoundé’s intelligence services function. This creates a perception problem: even if Paris seeks to distance itself, DGRE’s excesses remain tied to the wider Françafrique legacy.
Growing Western Discomfort
Across Western capitals, France’s role in Africa is increasingly viewed with discomfort. WikiLeaks disclosures in the past decade revealed how Western governments balanced democracy promotion with support for entrenched regimes. Today, social media and Africa’s growing diaspora spotlight these contradictions.
In London, Paris, and Washington, diaspora communities amplify stories of repression that once remained local. Hashtags, online campaigns, and citizen journalism have made it harder for governments to ignore accusations of double standards: championing democracy in Ukraine, for example, while tolerating authoritarian practices in parts of Africa.
Ambazonia and the Breaking Point
For Ambazonians, AfroLeaks arrives at a decisive moment. Their demand for independence is not only political—it challenges France’s last colonial-era foothold in the Gulf of Guinea. Every revelation of DGRE’s lawless behavior, every failed attempt to silence diaspora activists, erodes Yaoundé’s legitimacy.
Still, it is important to note that not all Cameroonians support secession. Many in the Francophone regions fear fragmentation and argue for reform rather than partition. Yet the persistence of military crackdowns and broken constitutional promises has made Ambazonia’s exit movement difficult to dismiss.
AfroLeaks and the Contest of Narratives
By situating itself as a watchdog over Africa’s hidden stories, AfroLeaks becomes more than a media outlet—it is a disruptor of entrenched power. For France, whose African influence has already been rolled back in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the erosion of silence in Cameroon represents another front in its strategic retreat.
Ambazonia’s future—whether through independence, negotiation, or continued stalemate—remains uncertain. But what is clear is that the information environment has changed. AfroLeaks, alongside diaspora activism, ensures that the continent’s hidden stories will not only be told but archived for the world.
Because Africa deserves more than surface-level coverage.
Because truth matters.
Because accountability requires every voice.
Michael Kings for the Independentist
