The small but significant, just over a 1,000 in number, and quite diversified Cameroonian community in the Netherlands is about to form an umbrella Cameroonian Association in the Netherlands, to be know by the acronym CAMNED. Not that there are no organised associations, groups or communities that regularly meet, but more about that later.

Cameroon is a Central African (some say West) country with a great variety of climates, flora and fauna, landscapes and last but not least people. This translates into a great diversity of tribes and languages. SIL Cameroon has listed 126 languages, out of some 270 languages spoken in Cameroon. Official languages are English and French, while Pidgin English is a major lingua franca, as Douala, Bali and Hausa. By the way, SIL International is a faith-based organization that studies, documents, and assists in developing the world's lesser-known languages.

Basic information about Cameroon shows that with a BNP of about $1,000 it is a middle income country with a population of 16,6 mln., whose life expectancy is 45 years for men and 46 years for women, according to the UN. The modern state of Cameroon was created in 1961 by the unification of two former colonies, one British and one French. Since then it has struggled from one-party rule to a multi-party system in which the freedom of expression is severely limited.

In 1994 and 1996 Cameroon and Nigeria fought over the disputed, oil-rich Bakassi peninsula. Nigeria withdrew its troops from the area in 2006 in line with an international court ruling which awarded sovereignty to Cameroon. Internally, there are tensions over the two mainly English-speaking southern provinces. A secessionist movement, the Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC), emerged in the 1990s and has been declared as illegal.

Cameroon has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. However, the country's progress is hampered by a level of corruption that is among the highest in the world, though perhaps higher by perception than it actually is.

Cameroon's main export productions are crude oil and petroleum products, timber, cocoa, aluminium, coffee, and cotton.

The government tightly controls the broadcast media. State-run CRTV operates national TV and radio networks and provincial radio stations. State TV's monopoly was broken with the arrival in 2001 of TV Max, Cameroon's first private TV station. Dozens of private radio stations sprang up following a liberalisation of telecommunications in 2000. Newspapers - the public's main source of news - are subject to considerable official restrictions. (N.B. This information is sourced from BBC's country information)

Naturally it is not only a people's language that is indigenous, home-grown or in-born. There are physical features, way of living, diet, food, behaviour and general culture that differ from one tribe to the other. Within one's country these specifics set one apart from other tribes, but abroad often do unite. Like "birds of one feather flock together" people from one particular country, area or more specific tribe, like to meet each other regularly when finding themselves abroad. In this way there are a few dozen Cameroonian associations, meeting groups or the like, based on area or tribal background existing in the Netherlands.

Inspired by the relatively new Cameroonian Charge d'Affaires, H.E. Mr. Blaise Banoum, who called the representatives of associations, groups and communities for a meeting at the Embassy, an ad hoc committee has been working for several months to create an overall Cameroonian Association, to be known as CAMNED. Apart from uniting the Cameroonian Diaspora in the Netherlands and enabling them to express their convictions and concerns, the objective of CAMNED is also to stimulate Cameroonians to contribute to the development of their native country.

Recently it is more and more recognised that the African Diaspora can play a more significant role in Africa's development by e.g. making use of the opportunities offered to them abroad. This includes additional or improved skills, moderate means for private development (remittances), joining forces with the myriad of NGOs implementing development projects in Africa, or setting up projects and obtaining funds themselves.

However the African Diaspora in Europe should also be stimulated to make even more use of the opportunities European countries offer, by e.g. obtaining additional knowledge, following courses, and training, of various sorts to make them more versatile. This requires a closer integration into the host country, which is of course beneficial by itself.

Last but not least the African Diaspora increasingly attempts "homecoming" by temporarily of permanently setting up their business or carrying out their profession in their home country and by that way boosting the African economy. It is hoped that CAMNED will greatly contribute to that.

By Ato Bob