A Brief History of the Bakweri Land Problem

When Cameroon became a German Protectorate in 1884, the Germans realized that the area around Mount Cameroon, home of the indigenous Bakweri ethnic group, was an agricultural paradise. They immediately instituted a policy of wholesale confiscation of native lands for large-scale commercial agriculture. Through the use of coercion, brute force, and a series of repressive laws, the German colonial Government forced local indigenous communities to give up vast expanses of native lands without compensation.

The German colonial Government also instituted the notorious and inhumane policy of packing the Bakweri into inaccessible, disease infested and inhospitable Native Reserves. Through this policy, thousands of Bakweri were forcefully displaced from their original villages and herded off onto strange and unfriendly patches of lands around the plantations. In one swoop, the Bakweri, who prior to the arrival of the Germans were described as aggressive, independent and dynamic, were transformed into a dejected, despondent, lethargic and dependent people. Ripped from familiar surroundings on which their entire traditional culture derived its strength the Bakweri began an alarming downward spiral that would continue for over half a century – a fate no different from that of Native Americans.

In total, the Germans alienated about 400 square miles of the most fertile land around the Mount Fako area alone, and stripped the Bakweri of over 200,000 acres of their most fertile lands with tragic results. According to the 1922 British Annual Report to the League of Nations:
“Uprooted from the homes of their forebears, settled willy-nilly on strange soil, deprived of their old-time hunting grounds, and fishing rights, the Bakweri have retained but a small sense of tribal unity or cohesion.”

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Comments

[DJATOU MEDARD]

hi all

I'm a doctoral student in anthropology at the yaounde I Uiversity. It's a great plesure for me to have this site. I'm working on Bakweri people for my thesis but I ghave a problem. I dont succed to have a geographycal map on which Bakwri people are located. i dont know if you can have it. Thanks

Best wishes.

[africanatheartinjamaica]

this is a clear case of african land being stolen by europeans of the past for which their present day descendants should by force ( and deemed necessary) be made to return those land or pay compensation... but how does one compensate for 400 + year of misery, discrimination and injustice... that is the question.

[MONANGAI JOHN MONANGAI]

AM A JOURNALIST WORKING WITH RADIO BUDESLIGA IN GERMANY. I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE BAKWERI LAND AFFAIRE AND THE LAND OWNERSHIP IN GENERAL ESPECIALLY AROUND THE BUEA BOKWANGO HERMISPHERE.I HAVE BEEN PREVILEDGE AND A WITNESS TO SOME CRUCIAL LAND PROBLEMS IN BOKWANGO VILLAGE WHERE THE TRADITIONAL RULERS HAVE ALL BEEN CORRUPTED WITH BRIBERYAND CORRUPTION.ESPECIALLY THE TRADITIONAL RULER OF BOKWANGO VILLAGE OF WHICH I WILL WITHHELD HIS NAME HAVE BEEN AN INSTRUMENT IN SOME OF THE LANDS IN THAT AREA GIVING THEM OUT TO NON INDIGENES INSTEAD OF INDIGENES.
IN A SEPERATE DEVELOPMENT, I BELIEVE THAT IS TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO BE PAYING RENTS FOR THE LANDS TAKEN IN THE SOUTH WEST PROVINCE

[Akwalefo Djeudo]

What are the effects of the wholesale confiscation of native land by the Germans on the spatial development of towns like Limbe ,Tiko and Buea. Inorder words would the site, situation and spatial expansion of these towns been what it is today if the Germans did not confiscate native land. If not what would have been the most appropriate expansion pattern for these towns following a normal evolution?

[DANGO TUMMA]

akwalefo djeudo
YOURS AS ALL FRENCH CAMEROUNESE IS SIMPLY
HYPOCRISY, YOUFROMANOTHER COUNTRY IN WESTERN PROVINCE OF CAMEROUN, YOUR OWNFOREFATHERS LAND ARE STILL IN YOUR HANDS, JUST ASTHE PEOPLEIN THE SOUTH, THE EAST AND ALL OVER YOURCOUNTRY, WHAT MAKES IT FIT THAT YOU CAN DISMISS THE FACT THAT
OUR LAND NA DLIFES ARE BEEING STOLEN BY YOUR MEN ?
WHERE IS THE LAND GERMANY STOLEN ,WHICH YOU ARE REFERRING, TOMY KNOWLEDGE THERE ISNT ANY WHITEMAN STANDING TODAY, USING OUR LAND,
THEY ONLY LAND THIEVES AREFRENCH CAMEROUNESE GOVERNMENT, WHICH YOU ARE PART OF, SOO, PLEASE BE MAN ENOUGN TO CONDEMN THIS EVIL DREADFUL PRACTICES.

[DANGO TUMMA]

AS FOR THE OTHER FROG CALLED DJATOU MEDARD, WHT CORRELATION DOES ANTHROPOLOGY GOT TO DO WITH HISTORY?
YOU OUGHTTA BE DIGGING CAVES SOME WHERE IN
YOUR PRIMITIVE BACK WOODS OF MBOUDA IN YOUR
OWN COUNTRY QUIETLY.
YOU EVEN ASK FOR A MAP, SHOWS HOW ILLETRATE YOU ARE, THERE ARE MAPS OF BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS ALL OVER THE NET, YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE, AND BUEA IS THE CAPITAL OF BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS UPTILL 1961. JUST BECAUSE THEY RYME DOESNT MAKE US THE SAME COUNTRY. AN CAMEROUN WAS NEVER A NATION UNDER GERMANY
1884-1919 BUT A COLLECTION OF CHIEFDOMS EACH OVERSEEN BY A GERMAN GOVERNOR, FROM THE CHIEFS OF DUALA, TO MORA IN FRENCH CAMEROUN TO BUEA, MAMFE, BAMENDA IN BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS TO TOGOLAND, TCHAD, CAR AND GABON.
THE FALSE HISTORY YOUR ROTTEN GOVERNMENT TEACHES YOU IS A CONCOTTION OF PROGAGNDA MIXED WITH FLASEHOOD.