Sons and Daughters of the Soil: Land and Boundary Conflicts in North West Cameroon, 1955-2005

A) The Complaints Period

99 Chapter Four The “Cold” Years, 1995-2005 Introduction This section focuses on the cold period when there was no overt outbreak of hostilities amongst the two communities but which at the same time was characterised by correspondences, tensions, and rumours and disobeying of the Injunction Orders by the two communities. The period also witnessed the introduction of new players into the field of the boundary conflict. A) The Complaints Period On 8 July, 1998, His Royal Highness, the Fon of Bambili, addressed a letter to the Divisional Officer of Tubah complaining about the Babanki Tunguh people who had trespassed into the Bambili land and started farming. He said amongst other things that the Babanki people “have again started extensive farming on Bambili land and are harvesting eucalyptus trees which are on Bambili land”. That information in the letter appeared to have been unfounded and thus was rumour. To show that it was rumour the Divisional Officer, Tubah Sub Division, Kamga, in the letter Ref. No.E29-01.2/165/ 329 wrote to the Fon of Bambili and copied The Governor, North West Province; The Senior Divisional Officer, Mezam; The Legion Commander, Bamenda; The Brigade Commander, Tubah and The Commissioner of Special Branch, Tubah. In that letter he said: Following the latter(sic) which you wrote to me complaining that the Babanki-Tungoh people have entered the disputed land and were harvesting eucalyptus trees, I proceeded to the field on the 15 July 1998 in company of: the Chairman of Bambili Traditional Council, The President of MBECUDA, two notables of Bambili, the Brigade commander, Gendarmerie Brigade, Tubah, the Commissioner Special Branch, Tubah; with the aim of witnessing the provocative acts reported and taking appropriate measures thereafter to preserve the peace. While on the spot, I was shocked to notice 100 Sons and Daughters of the Soil that your report to me were very far from the truth, as the activities being carried out by few Babanki people are taking place on the disputed land and not inside Bambili. From what we saw the Babanki people are to be blamed for farming on the disputed area in violation of the injunction order, but not of intrusion inside Bambili land. The Administration has the duty to bring the defaulters to order, and will not fail to do so. On your part, you should keep on sensitizing your population so as to make sure that no Bambili citizen follows the bad example of Babanki people, i.e. violates the administrative injunction order. Furthermore while appreciating your constant endeavour to inform the Administration on all facts and happenings likely to compromise the peace between your community and your neighbours, I want to stress on the vital need to always ascertain the facts before sending any report to the Administration, as false reports may bring the Administration to take inappropriate decisions and thereby compromise the peace as well. I am therefore appealing to you, to take all necessary measures henceforth, in order to make sure that your future reports contain nothing but accurate information. I count so much on your usual understanding. Apparently not satisfied with the letter and anxious to exercise his duties, the Divisional Officer wrote another letter Ref. No.E2901 .2/165/330, to His Royal Highness, Fon of Kedjom on the same date, 31 July 1998. He said: On the 15/7/98, I undertook an inspection on the land in dispute between your community and Bambili people, and I was very sad to notice that despite the administrative injunction order restraining both Bambili and Babanki Tungo peoples from carrying out any activity on the disputed area, despite my several warnings to Babanki people, some of your subjects were working, new farms on the said area in addition to those they worked at the beginning of the current farming season. As you very well know, the aim of the administrative injunction decision, dated 21/7/92, and copy of which I personally sent to you for implementation, was to prevent 101 Chapter Four: The ‘‘Cold’’ Years, 1995-2005 further bloody confrontations between your village and Bambili. Furthermore, I don’t need to remind you that, the Traditional Ruler you are, being an arm of the Administration, (emphasis in the original) is charge, amongst others, with the maintenance of law and order, the implementation and administrative decisions in his area of jurisdiction. Therefore, your constant failure to implement this administrative...