Northern Cameroon Initiative / Programme d’Appui à l’Initiative Communautaire (PAIC)

in the Far North region of Cameroon. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI), the program shifted focus in February 2018 from deterring violent extremist recruitment to helping targeted communities withstand violent extremist threats. The program objectives are to stabilize communities most affected by the Boko Haram/ISWA crisis and support Cameroonian-led initiatives to advance reintegration of ex-Boko Haram/ISWA affiliates. The program is accomplished through four sub-objectives: helping returned IDPs resume life in their communities of origin, increasing youth engagement, preparing communities for reintegration, and promoting exchanges of experiences and planning for community reintegration among local and regional leaders and authorities. Due to the increasing intensity of the ISWA crisis in the Lake Chad Basin, the program is starting to intensify operations in Logone et Chari, and a fifth sub-objective is being defined to address the context in this area. The program has established itself as a trusted actor in frontline communities by providing infrastructure rehabilitation to schools, roads, and health centers. This has led to increased trust with local community leaders and a decrease in perceptions of isolation and abandonment. Residents, local leaders, and military personnel have more openly shared their obstacles to stabilization, security information, and immediate concerns with program staff, helping the program target factors that affect the stabilization of returnees. The program has also targeted over 5,300 youth through various activities, including road rehabilitation, vocational training, income-generating activities, agricultural equipment distribution, and conflict resolution platforms. These activities have resulted in increased linkages between groups from different areas, creating a sentiment of membership among community youth. High-visibility activities such as road rehabilitation have empowered youth as they take on active roles in the process of rebuilding their communities, and instilled a sense of ownership and pride. The program has gained a deeper understanding of the reintegration process in the Far North region through activities under Objective 1 and visits to targeted communities. The approach to reintegrating ex-Boko Haram/ISWA affiliates varies across communities and is an informal process largely shaped by local community leaders in collaboration with security forces, given the absence of an established legal framework by the Government of Cameroon. The program continues to implement activities in coordination with other Lake Chad Basin programs, including a partnership with OTI Nigeria to jointly identify community leaders for a road rehabilitation activity.