Misplaced Pages

#539460

67-672: The two English-speaking regions of Cameroon make up 17% of a population of 17 million (2005). The Social Democratic Front , the largest opposition political party in Cameroon's parliament, is headed by an Anglophone. Separatist movements, notably the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) and the Southern Cameroons Peoples Organization (SCAPO), call for the separation of the two English-speaking regions from French-speaking Cameroun in response to

134-642: A Cameroon regime , experiencing a period of high waters during the wet season and a period of low waters in the dry period. The rivers all form part of the Atlantic basin. The Mbam River runs along the border with the Centre and Southeast Provinces. The Nkam is the name for the headwaters of the Wouri River , which flow from the West's Bamboutos Mountains . The eastern branch through the area rises northwest of Bangangté , and

201-496: A daily market, market days are typically every eighth day (the Bamileke follow an eight-day week ). The Bamileke are skilled farmers who exploit virtually every strip of land available. Along with the neighbouring Northwest Province, the West supplies most of the food consumed in Cameroon's seven lower provinces. Tools are largely traditional. Farmers plant after the first rains in fields consisting of alternating ridges and furrows. In

268-431: A language called Bamum . They are primarily Islamic , and all are ruled by a sultan in their tribal capital, Foumban. Other languages spoken in the province include Bamenyam , Mbo , and Tikar . Most educated inhabitants also speak French. The West is one of Cameroon's soundest economic areas due primarily to its agricultural prosperity and the enterprising traditions of the Bamileke people. In areas that do not have

335-500: A presidentially appointed delegate. The departments are: The Noun department, headquartered at Foumban , is the largest division geographically and occupies most of the Bamum territories bordering the Adamawa and Centre Provinces. The Ndé department is southwest of this with its capital at Bangangté . The Haut-Nkam (Upper Nkam) department, whose capital is Bafang , is further west, and

402-411: A pro-independence platform. The powerful Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC) party, including many Bamileke, considered him a French puppet and opposed him. On 27 June 1959, several Bamileke areas were struck in what were later labeled terrorist strikes. Ahidjo declared martial law . His later attitudes toward the Bamileke likely were strongly influenced by their opposition to him. Under Ahidjo,

469-503: A small land area and large network of mostly paved roads, the West is one of Cameroon's more accessible provinces. Major routes through the area include National Road 4 to Yaoundé, National Road 5 from Békoko to Bandjoun, and National Road 6 (dubbed la Transafricaine ) from Ekok , Mamfe and Bamenda in the Northwest Province through Mbouda and Foumban to Banyo and beyond in the Adamawa. Bafoussam forms an important nexus between

536-557: A transitional zone to the lowly vegetated northern provinces. West of that river, this savanna is of the Sudan type, and is interspersed among open, dry forest. A few small patches of rain forest persist to the west of the Mbam River in the Noun division. As elevation increases, forests thin out, until they are replaced by ferns and bamboos at 1,800 metres. Trees throughout shed their leaves during

603-424: Is Lake Baleng , northeast of Bafoussam, and the twin lakes of Foumbot . These volcanoes can cause deposits of gas to build up at the lakebed until poisonous gases finally bubble to the surface. Such an eruption at Lake Monoun killed 37 villagers near Foumbot on 15 and 16 August 1984. The Bamboutos Mountains are the West's primary land feature. Elevations reach as high as 2,000 metres and dip as low as 500 metres in

670-530: Is also important, particularly in the lowlands. Tea is grown commercially near Dschang. Some rice cultivation takes place under the Upper Noun Development Company (UNVDA) in the southeast, largely due to government projects. Tobacco from Mbouda and Foumbot stays within the province for local consumption, though the Bastos Company of Yaoundé processes some for export. Livestock raising

737-511: Is also the location of a bilingual university at Dschang as well as the private Université des Montagnes in Bangangté. Hospitals and health clinics are fairly prevalent in the region. The area's pleasant climate keeps it largely mosquito-free, so malaria is not a problem as in much of the rest of Cameroon. Lack of sanitation is a serious issue, as this leads to outbreaks of dysentery , hepatitis A , typhoid , and other ailments, especially in

SECTION 10

#1732869107540

804-467: Is also the site of traditional fishing , and professional fisheries operate at Foumban. The West is home to relatively little industry . The area's few factories are almost all devoted to food processing , with plants in Bafoussam ( beer , instant coffee ), Foumbot, Dschang, and Kékem . The building materials, pharmaceuticals , and bauxite mining industries also have a presence. Arts and crafts form

871-517: Is between the SDF and the female Takembeng mobilizations. These women provide protection for SDF officials and a key presence at SDF demonstrations. The party is a full member of the Socialist International and Progressive Alliance . West Province (Cameroon) The West Region ( French : Région de l'Ouest ) is 14,000 km of territory located in the central-western portion of

938-583: Is particularly evident on the Western High Plateau, where poor soil and less rainfall have exacerbated the effects of deforestation , turning the area into grassland. The Melap Reserve ( Réserve de Melap ) near Foumban is one heavily wooded area, but it is more of a city park than an actual reserve. East of the Noun River, the terrain is primarily covered in woodland savanna of the Sahel type, which forms

1005-653: Is the main opposition party of Cameroon . It was led by Ni John Fru Ndi from its foundation until his death in 2023, and receives significant support from the Anglophone Southwest and Northwest Regions. The SDF was launched in Bamenda on May 26, 1990 in opposition to the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement ; following the launching rally, six people were killed by security forces. The party held its Constitutive Assembly on February 3, 1991 and elected its National Executive Committee. The party refused to sign

1072-545: Is thus an important component in Cameroon's supply of hydroelectric power . Falls are common, such as the Balatchi , Metché , and Tsugning Falls . Most of the West's lakes are crater lakes formed from collapsed volcanoes . Such lakes exist at Balent , Banéfo , Doupé , and near Foumban . Many of these still have active volcanoes at their bottoms, particularly in the northwest on the Western High Plateau . One example

1139-555: The Douala market. Many farmers raise sheep and goats in the southeastern half of the province. Increasingly common these days are poultry and pigs , which can live in pens on smaller farms. In fact, the majority of Cameroon's pork comes from the region, and a large government-run poultry farm operates at Kounden. Smallholder farmers, especially women, keep domestic cavies in their homesteads that may provide more protein to family nutrition than any other meat source. The Bamendjing

1206-644: The German annexation of the Cameroons in 1884. The first Europeans to enter the territory were representatives of the Basel Mission in 1897. The Germans themselves did not move into the territory until 1899 (though they had signed treaties with Bamileke leaders as early as 1884). Governor Jesko Von Puttkamer established the Gesellschaft Nordwest-Kamerun to monopolise trade in the area, and he established

1273-462: The June 2002 parliamentary election , the SDF won 22 seats; it won one of these seats in a revote held for some constituencies on 15 September. Although the party lost nearly half its seats in the 2002 election, it still dominated in Northwest Province, where it again won 19 out of 20 seats. In the presidential election held on 11 October 2004, Fru Ndi stood again as the SDF candidate and won 17.4% of

1340-745: The Medumba Festival of Bangangté, and the Ben Skin Dance , a dance of female sensuality that has grown increasingly commercialised. A number of museums celebrate the West's history and traditions. Among these are the Musée du Palais du Sultan Bamun , the Musée des Arts et des Traditions Bamoun , and the Musée Sacré Djissé , all in Foumban. The Musée de la Chefferie Bandjoun is the region's largest repository of Bamileke artifacts. Human beings have inhabited

1407-688: The Ménoua department borders it to the northwest with its capital at Dschang . The Mifi department, with its capital Bafoussam , forms the centre of the region, and it is hemmed in by a handful of smaller divisions: the Bamboutos department, headquartered at Mbouda , the Hauts-Plateaux (High Plateaus) department, governed from Baham , and the Koung-Khi department, governed from Bandjoun . These latter two divisions were recently formed due to population booms in

SECTION 20

#1732869107540

1474-791: The National Assembly in the May 1997 parliamentary election , receiving its best results in Northwest Province , where it won 19 out of 20 seats; it also won a majority of seats in West Province , with 15 out of 25. It chose to boycott the October 1997 presidential election , along with the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) and the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC). In

1541-513: The Noun River and at the Bamendjing Reservoir , for example, is a lightly evolved blend of various raw minerals. The province's western half, on the other hand, is a haphazard mixture of raw minerals, granite , ferrallitic patches of red dirt, and other types. Finally, the soil of the eastern portions away from the reservoir is ferrallitic. Rocks in the area range from the volcanic along

1608-741: The Republic of Cameroon . It borders the Northwest Region to the northwest, the Adamawa Region to the northeast, the Centre Region to the southeast, the Littoral Region to the southwest, and the Southwest Region to the west. The West Region is the smallest of Cameroon's ten regions in area, yet it has the highest population density. As home to the enterprising Bamum and Bamileke kingdoms,

1675-531: The Union Bamiléké in 1948. In 1956, France granted self-rule to its colony, and the West proved one of Cameroon's more politically influential areas due to groups such as Paysans Independants and the Assemblée Traditionnale Bamoun . The population boomed between 1958 and 1965, a period of high urbanisation in Cameroon. In 1958, Ahmadou Ahidjo became prime minister of French Cameroon with

1742-599: The 19th century, likely the result of population pressures caused by the same Fulbe jihads that had earlier pushed the Bamileke south. The king Mbwe-Mbwe extended Bamum holdings from the Mbam to the Noun Rivers, subjugating numerous local rulers in the process. Mbwe-Mbwe also kept the Fulbe from encroaching further south and west. The Bamum experienced a golden age of sorts under the leadership of Sultan Ibrahim Njoya (r. 1886–1933). Njoya

1809-669: The Baleng, Bapi, and Bafussam (who founded the settlement at Bafoussam along with the Bamougoum). Next came the Bagam, Bamendu, Bamsoa, Bazu, and Bangu. The final wave consisted of the Bati and Bafangwa. This period also saw the Bamileke assimilation of several older populations. Bamum tradition claims their kingdom was founded when Ncharé Yen led them to settle at Foumban (Mfom-Ben) in the 15th century. However, most scholars today place this migration as late as

1876-399: The Bamileke, who had never before considered themselves a single group . Catholic missionaries reached the grasslands area in 1910. By 1912, most of the Bamileke had converted to Christianity. Sultan Njoya welcomed the first German emissary to the Bamum kingdom in 1902 after hearing of the ruthless treatment given rebellious tribes further to the northwest. He even lent military support for

1943-565: The Baré-Foumban-Nkongsamba administrative area, and the capital was moved to Foumban. Dschang served as the seat of a French-run school for the sons of chiefs, which the French used to indoctrinate as well as instruct. The French maintained German plantations and labour sources, and new operations sprung up, such as a palm plantation at Dschang. The new colonial overlords made improvements to the region's infrastructure, as well, especially to

2010-740: The German campaign against the Nso near Bamenda in 1906. The Bamum soldiers, eager for revenge for an earlier defeat to the Nso in 1888, committed such atrocities that the Germans sent them back. Njoya also ordered the building of a palace at Foumban in 1917, which he modeled after that of the German governor. Bamileke and Bamum territory fell to the French in 1916 after the Germans' defeat in World War I . The territory became part of

2077-450: The Northwest Province, where it again won a majority of seats, with 11 out of 20. The SDF strongly opposed a constitutional amendment allowing Biya to run for president again in 2011. Its deputies boycotted the April 2008 parliamentary vote in which the amendment was approved, and it subsequently called for a "day of mourning" in which people were to wear black and stay home. One key alliance

Anglophone Cameroonian - Misplaced Pages Continue

2144-582: The Noun and Nkam valleys. The highest point is Mt. Bamboutos , a dormant volcano west of Mbouda , at 2,740 metres. These mountains lie along the Cameroon Fault , dating from the Cretaceous , which runs roughly parallel to the border with the Northwest Province and through the capital of Bafoussam. West of the Cameroon Mountains lies the Western High Plateau, with elevations of 1,000-2,500 metres. South of

2211-471: The Southeast, farmers sometimes place fields in forest clearings where they use slash-and-burn agriculture. Maize is the major staple, and farmers surround rows of it with cocoyams , plantains , beans , groundnuts , melons , and yams . Potatoes are another mainstay, and the West is one of the few places in Cameroon where they grow well due to high elevations in the region. Farmers grow these crops on

2278-576: The Tripartite Declaration of November 1991, and it chose to boycott the March 1992 parliamentary election , along with the Democratic Union of Cameroon , due to the government's failure to meet opposition demands, which included the establishment of an independent electoral commission to oversee the election. However, the party announced at its May 1992 national convention that it would take part in

2345-519: The West harbors many sympathisers for the presidential party's main opponents, the Social Democratic Front . The West consists of eight divisions or departments ( departements ), each headed by a prefect ( prefet ), or senior divisional officer. The president appoints all of these officers and the provincial governor in Bafoussam. A special urban council presides over Bafoussam, staffed by presidentially appointed counselors who serve under

2412-466: The West is an economic bright spot and one of Cameroon's more developed regions. This progressive development is tempered by the strong traditional culture that persists among the Bamileke and the province's other major ethnic group, the Bamum (sometimes Bamoum , Bamun , Bamoun ). The West sits at the geologic crossroads of Cameroon; the soil varies greatly within a relatively small land area. The land along

2479-515: The West since prehistoric times, as evidenced by archaeological finds at Galima and Foumban. Bamileke groups likely entered the area from the Adamawa Plateau in the 17th century, probably fleeing Fulbe (Fula) slave raids. They originally settled in what is now Bamum territory, but the Bamum forced them across the Noun in a series of wars in the 18th century. Bamileke tradition states that they migrated in three major groups. The first consisted of

2546-591: The West: the Bamileke and the Bamum. Both of these are considered semi-Bantu or grassfields Bantu . The Bamileke are the more numerous, estimated to number 3 million or more. They are concentrated southeast of the Bamboutos Mountains and west of the Noun River. Their major settlements are at Bafoussam , Bandjoun , Bafang , Bawaju , Bangangté , Dschang , and Mbouda . They organise themselves in sub-groups, each under

2613-679: The area. Traditional rulers still hold substantial power in the province. A sultan, whose palace and head of government are in Foumban, rules the Bamum. Bamum tradition claims an unbroken line of succession since 1394. The Bamileke, in contrast, are divided into over 100 groups, each headed by a chief ( fon , foyn , or fo ). The chiefs are themselves divided into various ranks, with major rulers living in Bandjoun, Bafang, Bangangté, Dschang, and Mbouda. Traditionally, chiefs command divine powers and own all lands by divine mandate. Individual tenants work plots at their chief's behest. These groupings thus form

2680-545: The basis for Bamileke tribal identity. Advisers, often called the “Council of Notables”, in turn serve the chiefs. Below them are various district chiefs who govern individual wards in the village. With nearly 1,000 schools serving its some 1,000 villages, the West relatively well provisioned educationally. The high population density contributes to classroom overcrowding , however. Students must often travel to nearby towns in order to pursue higher levels of education, since most villages do not have secondary schools . The province

2747-419: The cities of Bamenda, Douala, Yaoundé, and Foumban. Roads often must wind and sharply turn to traverse the region's mountains, and traffic accidents are not uncommon. The region is reachable by air via domestic airports at Bafoussam and Koutaba and an airstrip at Dschang. With its legions of artisans and its lavish sultan's palace, Foumban forms the West's main tourist draw. Visitors also come to experience

Anglophone Cameroonian - Misplaced Pages Continue

2814-405: The constitutional guarantee of a bilingual nation. They were joined by teachers, protesting central government appointees with lackluster English skills, and ordinary citizens. In December, security forces dispersed protests and at least two protesters were killed and others injured. Protesters have also been accused of violence, however, the government's heavy-handed crackdown has revived calls for

2881-591: The dismantling in May 1972 of the federation formed in 1961 and subsequent marginalization of the Anglophone minority by the Francophone majority and its political leadership. As of March 2017, only one of the 36 government ministers who control departmental budgets is an Anglophone. In November 2016, after a law was not translated, Anglophone lawyers began a protest in Bamenda against the central government for failing to uphold

2948-408: The divisional capital at Dschang in 1903. The area's cool temperatures drew many German settlers, and the colonisers established great coffee plantations , which they forced the natives to work . Larger plantations were established further south, and many Bamileke were forced or encouraged to move out of their traditional territories to work them. The Germans also set up a puppet over-chief for all

3015-498: The dry season as protection against brush fires. The West's population density is high in general, especially in the towns of Bafoussam, Dschang , Mbouda, and Bafang. This is due to the pleasant climate and fertile soils. Bafoussam is both the provincial capital and the centre of the Bamileke lands. Populations thin out toward the southern border and in the eastern Bamum-dominated territories. Settlements are scattered. The region experiences significant out-migration, particularly when

3082-481: The fault, the land descends in steps until levelling off at the South Cameroon Plateau . Here, terrain is gentler, with large hills separated by deep valleys. High elevations and moderate to high humidity give the West one of Cameroon's more pleasant climates. Temperatures average a cool 22˙, and rainfall is moderate. Except for the southeasternmost portions, the West experiences two major seasons in lieu of

3149-411: The foundations of modern Bafoussam were laid. The Bamum did not escape the French sphere, either, as sultan Ibrahim Njoya was deposed in 1931 due to his pro-German views. Njoya died in a Yaoundé prison two years later. After World War II , the West was a centre of political pressure and protest against colonial rule. Other groups came into being to combat these (usually with France's blessing), including

3216-405: The heart of the West's production. Particularly renowned are the goods produced by Bamum cooperatives at Foumban. These include intricately decorated ceramics made from Foumban's high-quality clay, woodworking , brass and bronze casting, and cotton textiles , often featuring elaborate embroidery . The Bamileke are also skilled artisans, with their own cooperative at Bafoussam. With such

3283-452: The hillsides and use the valleys to plant cocoyams, colocasia , and raffia palms . In the western Wouri valley, rice is also important. Population pressures prevent entrepreneurs from establishing large plantations more prevalently in the West. Coffee is the major cash crop , with large fields in the regions of Bafoussam, Foumbot, and Dschang and powerful supervision by Union des Cooperatives de Café Arabica de l'Ouest (UCCAO). Cocoa

3350-532: The leadership of a warrior chief named Gawolbe and crossed the Noun around 1825. In 1830, they fought a war with the Bamileke Bafu-Fundong group near Dschang. Their leader, Gawolbe II died, and the tribe splintered as Gawolbe's seven sons fought for control. Most of these groups migrated further west into what is today the Northwest Province. The area had only indirect contact with European powers (mostly due to slave raids by tribes further south) before

3417-632: The long rainy season from September to December. The climate is equatorial of the Cameroon sub-variety in the northwestern third and equatorial of the Guinea type in the southeastern two-thirds. Rainfall, moderated by the mountains, averages 1,000-2,000 mm per year throughout, though it is highest at the area of the Bamendjing Reservoir. Very little of the West's original flora or fauna survives, since most land has been cleared by human farmers. This

SECTION 50

#1732869107540

3484-629: The more urbanised centres. The West has a lively traditional culture. The Bamum observe traditional Muslim holy days, such as Ramadan and the Feast of the Ram . They also hold an annual cultural festival called the Ngouon . Bamileke festivals vary from tribe to tribe, and most are held during the dry season or for special events such as funerals or the birth of twins. Some examples are the Macabo Festival of Bangoua ,

3551-453: The past, farmers practiced field rotation, allowing land to lie fallow for two or three years. Due to increasing population density, however, they use the land almost continuously today; the loss in fertility is partially countered through extensive use of fertilisers and manure. Hedges or fences that separate private plots and keep out animals surround farms in the West. These hedges also provide firewood and help prevent from soil erosion . In

3618-406: The presidential election later that year. Fru Ndi, the SDF candidate in the October 1992 presidential election , received about 36% of the vote against about 40% for incumbent President Paul Biya , according to official results. The SDF believes he was denied victory "at gunpoint". He has now been largely criticized in the national press for moving residence to Yaoundé . The SDF won 43 seats in

3685-423: The region's magnificent scenery and rich traditional culture. The West's high population and economic dominance lend it great political importance. However, Cameroon's government and state-run media, largely run by President Paul Biya 's numerically inferior Beti-Pahuin tribal group, are often accused of anti-Bamileke bias. The Bamileke thus stand to gain a great deal from a more free and transparent government, and

3752-461: The release of Agbor-Balla and Neba. The central government shut down the internet in the Anglophone regions in mid January and was restored in April 2017, following a request for restoration by the United Nations . The NGO Internet Without Borders estimated that the blackout cost the Cameroonian economy almost €3 million (US$ 3.2 million). Social Democratic Front (Cameroon) The Social Democratic Front ( French : Front Social Démocrate )

3819-591: The reservoir and Noun to Precambrian deposits of crystalline rocks such as granite and gneiss under a cover of basaltic rock in the northwest. Metamorphic rocks like gneiss and mica dominate the rest of the territory. The soil throughout is mostly red in color due to high iron content, though that of the northwest is black or brown basalt. The province's soils are the richest and most productive in Cameroon. The West's mountainous terrain and active tectonics create many fast-moving rivers with picturesque falls and isolated crater lakes . These rivers follow

3886-493: The restoration of Southern Cameroons' independence gained on the 1st of October 1961. Various protesters were arrested, including Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla , the president of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, and Fontem Neba, the group's secretary general. The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium was declared illegal by the government on 17 January 2017 and "any other related groups with similar objectives" were prohibited." Amnesty International has called for

3953-408: The road network. The French continued Germany's policy of propping up sympathetic chiefs and deposing recalcitrant ones. They sought some sort of administrative centre amid the Bamileke domains, and in 1926, Fotso II of the Bandjoun people offered the site of Bafoussam, neighbouring his domains but not actually part of them. Mambou , chief of the area, opposed the colonials, but he was defeated, and

4020-419: The rule of a different chief. Examples are the Fe'fe' , Ghomala , Kwa' , Medumba , Mengaka , Nda'nda' , Ngomba , Ngombale , Ngiemboon , and Yemba . Most of these groups speak a unique language , though all are closely related. Most Bamileke are Christian , with Catholics in the majority. The Bamum people are the area's other major ethnic group. They are a subgroup of the Tikar , though they speak

4087-444: The traditional four: the year begins in a long, dry period of little rain, which runs until May, then the rains begin in May or June and last until October or November. Though the transition is gradual, the southeastern reaches of the province are part of the South Cameroon Plateau and thus have four seasons: the long dry season from December to March, the short rainy season from March to June, the short dry season from June to August, and

SECTION 60

#1732869107540

4154-504: The typical home. Houses of this type are seldom seen today, however, though barns are still constructed using these methods. The last bastion of traditional architecture are the many chiefs ' compounds that dot the province. These are characterized by their tall, conical roofs, bamboo and clay-brick walls, and carved poles around the entryway. The typical layout places a central audience chamber in front of other rooms for individuals of progressively lower rank. Two major tribal groups dominate

4221-417: The vast plantations of the Southwest Province hire workers for annual harvests. Permanent emigration is mainly by those who wish to escape the overcrowded conditions and to farm larger pieces of land, and is directed mainly to the Southwest and Littoral Provinces. Bamileke homes are traditionally made of dried earth placed on a bamboo frame and covered by a thatched roof. Farm plots separated by fences surround

4288-509: The vote according to official results, far behind Biya. In the July 2007 parliamentary election , the SDF won 14 out of the 163 initially declared seats, and it won a further two seats (out of 17 at stake) in constituencies where the election was held over again in September, thus winning a total of 16 out of 180 seats. These additional seats were crucial, because the SDF could not form a parliamentary group unless it had at least 15 seats. The party's electoral success remained largely confined to

4355-399: The western branch forms the border with the Littoral Province southwest of Bafang . These headwaters are subject to seasonal flooding. The Noun River, a tributary of the Sanaga , flows from the Centre Province, around Bafoussam , and to the Bamendjing Reservoir. This man-made lake is created by a dam on the Noun River, which helps regulate the Sanaga at Edéa in the Littoral Province and

4422-434: Was a patron of learning, and he converted to Islam under the tutelage of numerous Muslim scholars he had allowed into the kingdom. He developed an alphabet for the Bamum language (the Shumon script ), and established schools to teach it. The Islamisation of the Bamum occurred during his reign. The Bali-Chamba are the third major group to have pushed through the West Province territory in historical times. They came under

4489-419: Was once practiced more widely, but as populations have risen, most land has been converted to crop cultivation (a fact that has raised tensions between herders and farmers). Still, some herders drive cattle using transhumance methods in the northwestern half of the province, and the Kounden area is home to some modern ranching . Ranchers sell these animals, which account for 10% of Cameroon's beef, mostly in

#539460