Workshop:

The current report is presenting an independant evaluation of ARMP process as it took place in Benin. It is presenting major steps taken since the process was set after Benin signature of the ARMP memorandum of agreement (MdE)in March 31, 2004 until its layout before the ARMP participants countries head of states (peer evaluation) in january 30, 2008.

The report is examining also if the document presentation in ARMP forum was followed by a debate about governance in Benin and in what type of conditions this debate should be oragnized. Finally the report is proposing recommendations for the ARMP action program setting in Benin.

The article is proposing to analyze law reappropriation manners used by populations in Senegal by focusing on land access in urban area, in the city of Saint-Louis. Reappropriation of urbanism law codes and city space management goes hand in hand with french legal system reception. State model legitimation has started during colonial period when individual and exlcusive land use has been implemented by colonial authorities. Even though traditional conceptions still have a great importance in land access in the city, populations are also using state legal system for official approval of their right to occupy land. Then the senegalese legal system model is competing traditional modes of land access.

Delays observed in commitees created to support local elected officials in towns management are illustrating difficulties to go from monolithic management of public urban services to a participative approach that requires sustainable management of Cameroun cities in particular and Central Africa ones in general. This is explained by a lack partnership between actors of urban management in the sub region.

Using example of Douala markets, this contribution is questionning urban management in Africa. It is analyzing municipal structures and civil society actors especially merchants networks in urban governance and management. We are analyzing actors strategy through different environmental merchants espaces management policies. Moreover signification of governance concept is revisited.

The contribution is relaying on a ten years experience of research and teaching on urbanization, food security and cities sustainable management in Cameroun, especially Douala.

The global objective of the Good Governance Policy (PNG) in Cameroun is to « implement a good governance environment based on strengtening state of law , institutional efficiency improvment, good management of public resources and population participation in Nation affairs improvment, which is essential for launching a human development in Cameroun.

Three pincipal strategies have been retained:

• a strategy to consolidate state role as a facilitator and regulator of social and economic activity through administrative reform, economic management improvement,capacity building of parliamentary institutions, decentralization framework modernization and deconcentration and the fight against corruption.

• Business environment improvment, public and private sectors partnership strengthening and business government

• civil society and citizens paricipation to public affairs management through human rights and civil society capacity building, electoral framwork modernization and legal system vulgarisation.

States in Black Africa, despite their socio-geographical diversity do share the same historical situation that generate them, characterized by populations and nations that did experience long colonial joug periods with all psychological, social and material consequences involved: economic underdevelopment, society structures destabilized, national culture cover up.

The african postcolonial state is struggling to merge as a modern state. He is failing in this continuous quest of political legitimacy which could enbale him to be economically efficient. He is also in search of an economical efficiency that could lead to political legitimacy. The author is providing reasons to explain why this quest of legitimacy is still failing.