Politique de planification et développement du secteur portuaire au Cameroun : cas des ports de douala et de Kribi (1884-1987)

Abstract

This study was done within the framework of the new history; that is, the one which does not focus on passive description of events, merely on the knowledge of theoretical facts, but which goes beyond this by considering the problems of our time in a bid to bring solutions. Hence, it contributes to human welfare. Indeed, any science targets man as its main concern. So, by orienting our analysis toward planning and the port sector, our objective was to show how far the general planning in Cameroon from 1884 to 1987 contributed significantly in the development of Douala and Kribi ports. Under the protectorate and the French mandate (1884- 1945), there was an informal planning. It was a necessity for colonial administrations to achieve it in order to meet the goals of the colonial pact. Then, it is only at the dawn of the Second World War that France launched a vast modernisation campaign of its territories to reward its colonies. It is in this vein that the Social and Economic Development Investment Fund (FIDES) was created in 1946. This structure was in charge of implementing the development project. For a better management of its project, the fund used a planning which was achieved through two quadrennial (four years) plans. After independences, as Cameroon was facing many problems, it supported a planning resumption which was achieved through six quinquennial (five years) plans. These plans favoured the development of Cameroon ports in general and that of Douala in particular. However, we have insisted on obstacles which in one way or the other slowed down the total success of planning and integral development of ports by proposing solutions for a better future. These results were obtained from various written and oral sources, also from the diachronical approach that we adopted so that we could appreciate the evolution of these economic institutions in time and space.