The uneven legitimacy of militarized conservation law enforcement: policy insights from Northern Cameroon

Fergus O'Leary Simpson

No 72, IOB Analyses & Policy Briefs from Universiteit Antwerpen, Institute of Development Policy (IOB)

Abstract: This policy brief examines how the legitimacy of militarized conservation differs across northern Cameroon. Drawing on fieldwork around Bénoué and Bouba Ndjida National Parks, it shows that different communities respond differently to the integration of the military into conservation. While some see it as essential to combat poaching and insecurity, others experience it as an unjust restriction on land access. Some hold both views simultaneously. My central argument is that the factors that have driven wildlife decline and justify a militarized response – historical state neglect of protected areas, increasing pressures on land, and insecurity – are also the factors that shape how people experience and judge it. Recognizing this is essential for designing conservation policies that are ecologically and socially just.

Keywords: Cameroon; law enforcement; poaching; nature conservation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 8 pages
Date: 2026-08
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iob:apbrfs:2026004

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