The French-speaking part of Cameroon is more controlled by allies of Cameroon's president Paul Biya, who has been able to hold on to power for the past 15 years as a result of French intervention and with ELF's support. The English-speaking part of the country, near the Nigerian border, is an opposition stronghold. The pipeline route reflects a French military logic, according to the French La Lettre du Continent . A good road will run along the pipeline, providing rapid access to French forces should France's political allies lose their grip on power. There is not going to be a solution on governance in the near future.
People are desperate, but want to avoid civil war.
The regime decentralizes problems, but not resources, very effectively. Resources are to be completely controlled by the center. That is the politics of the pipeline. Under present political circumstances, the project will do little but prop up an unpopular and corrupt regime, which even the World Bank cites for insufficient commitment to alleviating poverty. The World Bank acknowledges the risk that the oil project will contribute to civil unrest in Cameroon and especially Chad.