Social Media and the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon

This paper sets out to investigate social media use in the current Anglophone Crisis. The main assumption of the paper is that the increasing use of the social media by nontraditional journalists and non-state actors in the production and distribution of information, escalated the crisis in the North West and South West Regions. Underpinned by the gatekeeping theory, the study adopted a qualitative method. The unit of observations was published information on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and WhatsApp Chat groups by the separatist and the Head of State. The analyses were predicted on information shared on the social media platforms about the Anglophone crisis in
Cameroon by individuals, states and non-state actors. Results proved that the majority of information shared during this crisis period is mostly through Facebook and WhatsApps, although others like Twitter, Youtube etc are also employed. Prominent among the actors who use the social media during this crisis period is the Head of State, Paul Biya. He employed twitter for instance to condemn the crisis, call. The study, therefore, concludes that social media has been a tool used by both the government and non-government officials to transmit their messages in relation to the crisis in the North West and South West. However, while the government uses them to promote peace, the non-state actors rather exploit them to the contrary.

Keywords: Social Media, Anglophone Crisis, Cameroon.