Abstract:
The African continent, particularly the sub-Saharan region, has faced several chal lenges since its independence: getting rid of neocolonialism, creating regional economic communities, and implementing the free movement of people, goods, and services to establish acommon market. It was in this context that the CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community) was created on March 16, 1994, comprising the following states: Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, Chad, and the Central African Republic. Until recent conflicts in the western and northern regions, Cameroon was considered a peaceful country and, as such, welcomed many Central African nationals into its territory. These Central African nationals are seeking to improve their well-being. This analysis of the problem of the socio economic integration of these Central Africans in the rural regions of Eastern and Northern Cameroon took place in a socio-historical context, adopting a mixed method that includes both quantitative and qualitative data. Two groups of Central African nationals were the subject of this article: legal residents and refugees. Their experiences during the period 2003 to 2020, studied within labor market and housing institutions, were assessed considering public policies aimed at Cameroon’s integration into CEMAC. This approach therefore aims to clarify integration in Central Africa through the example of Cameroonian villages. The main results of the study show that living conditions between these Cameroonians and Central Africans are similar. However, legal Central Africans seem to integrate better than other categories of Central Africans, while refugees benefit from assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Keywords:
CEMAC, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, socio-economic integration, integration, legal, refugees, labor market, xenophobia, rural area.