Language and Communication Discourses in Conflict Management: A Case Study of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon

Abstract

This paper sets out to analyse the language and communication strategies that are being used in attempts at resolving the crisis; to determine if these strategies are liable in the escalation or de-escalation of the conflict. It has been noticed that the language and Communication used by the social actors to manage the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon has not been effective, and thus futile. This research aims at investigating the role language and communication play in the process of conflict management and resolution. It sought to examine the ways language is being used in resolving the Cameroon Anglophone conflict. This paper is undertaken within the framework of the Critical Discourse Analysis which studies the way social power abuse, dominance and inequality are enacted, produced and resisted through text and talk and Systemic Functional Linguistics which holds that one does not speak and write in isolated sentences but in meaningful units called texts which are produced in and influenced by context. The research approach used in this study was the qualitative design. The data was collected with the aid of 3 interviews and content analysis of 3 speeches of the Head of State on the Anglophone conflict. The data was analysed using the content analysis method. From the findings, it was discovered that the language and communication used in managing and resolving the crisis is not adequate enough to put an end to the crisis. The choice of words used by the actors rather cause pain, anger, and hurt in the hearts of the people rather than easing the pain, thus escalating the conflict. The findings of the study indicate amongst others that the actors of the conflict do not make use of the language strategies in their attempts at resolving the crisis probably because they do not give language the important role it plays in conflict resolution. The communication strategies used in managing the crisis is not efficient enough to successfully resolve it, and the vocabulary used by the actors of the conflict rather cause the conflict to escalate as they rather cause hurt and anger in the hearts of fellow actors, causing more violent actions to be exhibited.