Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2021
The critical role of social media as a propaganda and contagion agent in conflict situations was ... more The critical role of social media as a propaganda and contagion agent in conflict situations was tested and proven in the aftermath of Iranian elections in 2009 and in the Arab Spring from December 2010. In the later case, thanks to social media, what began as a Tunisian affair with the self-immolation of a high school educated street vendor, Mohammed Bouazizi, spread like wildfire resulting in generalized revolution in the Arab world. Similarly, what became known as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon which was caused by accumulated grievances evident in frustrations especially among youth, gelled by the growth of 'Ambazonism' and steered by an ensemble of Cameroonian diaspora was propagated as a twin phenomenon of liberalism and nationalism through social media. The secessionist activists who for the most part were settled in foreign countries used the social media to propagate the ideals of 'Ambazonism' in the most alluring manner, thereby endearing many youth whose hopes in the government had faded nearly beyond restitution. Through Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and even Instagram, the secessionists were radical, making pronouncements and declarations as well as promises enveloped in propagandist statements (largely baseless) which did not only expose the extent of the crisis but enrolled more sympathizers for their course. On the other hand, Counter-Ambazonist sympathizers also took to social media platforms to roll back the gospel of 'Ambazonism'. This has engendered the desire to engage a study on the manner in which these two polar opposite forces used social media propaganda to enlist support for their ideals in a context of crisis. The paper thus attempts an investigation into the central role played by the social media in the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon. The paper summons and analyses data from primary, secondary and most especially internet (social media) sources to succor its central thesis.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2021
The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constitut... more The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constituted by/with people of mixed origins who are products of push and pull migratory trends. Their organizations and forms of power tenure vary in form and content but roughly correspond to centralized and decentralized systems of power structures. As mixed by-product of this settlement pattern, no socio-political group can lay claim of aboriginal rights and perceptions since all of them settled almost at the same time. However, there are a group of forced migrant communities notably, Bawock, Baforkum, Fungeih, Nsongwa, Bambili, and the Cattle Fulani (Mbororo) whose migratory history is not only recent but owe its origin to force or push factors. As forced migrant communities, their sojourn to their present sites as well as their survival provides an interesting migration scholarship. This paper is an attempt to use these communities as cases in point to underscore the pride and prejudice of the forced migrant communities vis-à-vis their early counterparts within the Bamenda Grasslands. After positioning the discourse of forced migrants within space and time by summoning and analyzing data from primary and secondary sources, the paper builds a portrait of this forced migrant communities and details their plight and fortunes in this ecological niche from the earliest settlements to the present. Besides enriching the discourse on missing or difficult to be assimilated migrant communities, it submits from the fertility of its thesis that their emigration from their different sites as well as their settlement and evolution within their host environments constitute an adventure of challenging but overwhelmingly fulfilling moments both to their host communities and the settlers.
South Asian Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2020
This paper argues that colonialism bred the phenomenon of ethnic disintegration among the Mbum le... more This paper argues that colonialism bred the phenomenon of ethnic disintegration among the Mbum leading to mutual suspicion among the various clans. The Mbum constitutes one of the major ethnic identities of the Bamenda Grassland of Cameroon. Historical narratives aver that the people claim disparate origins and migration in three identifiable groups including the Warr, the Yaa and the Tang Clans. Upon their settlement in the Nkambe Plateau, geography, history and culture conspired to knit them together into an ethnic identity. However, colonial encounter with the Germans in 1902 and the British in 1916 led to the implementation of policies that estranged this ethnic identity causing disintegration. Notably, the German divide-and-rule policy sowed the seed for disintegration while the British reorganization of 1935 re-emphasized the Clan lines which forced the people to retrocede into perpetual disintegration. The three Clans became particularistic and attached to individual Warr, Yaa and Tang Clan identities making ethnic unity among the Mbum a misapprehension. This situation created a situation where Clan nationalism superseded ethnic cohesion as manifested during the period of party politics in the area with far reaching attendant repercussions. The paper also provides a microcosm for the appreciation of the degree to which colonial rule and strong attachment to individual national pride has ultimately cost Africa the much cherished unity. Oral, archival as well as written documents were used to defend its thesis.
A casual observation of journalistic practices around the world reveals deep-seated abuses on jou... more A casual observation of journalistic practices around the world reveals deep-seated abuses on journalists and media organizations. While this is a universal state of affair, the situation in Africa is particularly dire due to poor democratic practices and human rights situations. In Cameroon, abuses on journalists and media organizations prevail and have often been blamed on government actors. However, with the advent of the Anglophone Crisis in 2016, a non-state actor emerged to compliment government actions against the free practice of journalism in Bamenda, Capital of the country's North West Region. From this background, this paper contends that, since the emergence of armed pro-separatist groups (known as 'Amba' Boys) in Cameroon's Anglophone Regions of the North West and South West within the framework of the Anglophone Crisis, journalists in and around Bamenda suffered serious infringements on their rights from two mutually opposing groups (including government actors on the one hand and armed separatist groups on the other). The paper analyses written sources, interviews, newspaper articles, internet sites as well as field observations to demonstrate that media men and women in Bamenda suffered abuses ranging from threats, arrests, torture, kidnapping, imprisonment and suspension from both government and 'Amba' Boys within this period. The paper is synchronized in thematiccum-chronological synthesis to sustain logic.
The Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) distinguishes itself not only as the pioneering evangelisti... more The Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) distinguishes itself not only as the pioneering evangelistic mission in Cameroon but also by its Indirect Administrative chain of command known as the Congregational System. By this system of administration, the central administrative unit shifts virtually all responsibilities including infrastructural, personnel, financial and even evangelistic to affiliated local congregations. In spite of the weighty responsibility required from them, the local congregations of the CBC have not compromised the critical duty of evangelism and church planting. As a corollary to this predilection to spread the gospel, many of these congregations have transformed themselves into Church-planting movements. This has invariably reverberated into mind-blogging surge in the number of CBC Churches in Bamenda, Cameroon in recent years. From this background this paper launches an inquest into the mutualism between the Congregational System of Administration and the multi...
The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constitut... more The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constituted by/with people of mixed origins who are products of push and pull migratory trends. Their organizations and forms of power tenure vary in form and content but roughly correspond to centralized and decentralized systems of power structures. As mixed by-product of this settlement pattern, no socio-political group can lay claim of aboriginal rights and perceptions since all of them settled almost at the same time. However, there are a group of forced migrant communities notably, Bawock, Baforkum, Fungeih, Nsongwa, Bambili, and the Cattle Fulani (Mbororo) whose migratory history is not only recent but owe its origin to force or push factors. As forced migrant communities, their sojourn to their present sites as well as their survival provides an interesting migration scholarship. This paper is an attempt to use these communities as cases in point to underscore the pride and prejudice of the forced migrant communities vis-à-vis their early counterparts within the Bamenda Grasslands. After positioning the discourse of forced migrants within space and time by summoning and analyzing data from primary and secondary sources, the paper builds a portrait of this forced migrant communities and details their plight and fortunes in this ecological niche from the earliest settlements to the present. Besides enriching the discourse on missing or difficult to be assimilated migrant communities, it submits from the fertility of its thesis that their emigration from their different sites as well as their settlement and evolution within their host environments constitute an adventure of challenging but overwhelmingly fulfilling moments both to their host communities and the settlers.
This paper focuses on analyzing life in Mbum communities in the Mambilla Plateau of Taraba State ... more This paper focuses on analyzing life in Mbum communities in the Mambilla Plateau of Taraba State in Nigeria particularly in the towns of Gembu, Nguroje, Maisamari, Jalingo, Kakara, Furmi, Yerrmaru and Mayo Ndaga. In spite of their background of ethnic disintegration at home (in the Nkambe Plateau of Cameroon), the Mbum in the Mambilla Plateau, Taraba State, Nigeria, have forged a strong sense of ethnic integration and constituted themselves into a unit. With the aid of a wide range of source materials including written, oral and field observations, the paper launches an inquest into integration among the Mbum in the Mambilla Plateau. It submits that a number of factors conspired to knit the Mbum in the Mambilla Plateau into an ethnic bond and this significantly influenced their interactions.
Since 2017, English-speaking regions of Cameroon have witnessed armed conflict in its towns and v... more Since 2017, English-speaking regions of Cameroon have witnessed armed conflict in its towns and villages with far-reaching repercussions. This is perhaps one of the worst endogenous armed conflicts in Cameroon since independence in 1960 and reunification in 1961. What is even more engrossing to the mind has been the question as to how corporatist movements initiated by Cameroon Anglophone common law lawyers and teachers soon vitiated into armed confrontation on a scale that can only be compared to anti-colonial movements in French Cameroon from the 1940s to the 1960s. From this basic premise, this paper contends that the armed conflict witnessed in the Anglophone regions since 2017 did not emerge from a vacuum. It has been in gestation in the form of “everyday” resistance since at least the 1970s. The armed conflict has been a concomitant feature of historical milestones marked by accumulated grievances and frustrations, gelled by the growth of ‘Ambazonism’, propagated as the twin p...
Women in the Bamenda Grassland have always been involved in different aspects of economic activit... more Women in the Bamenda Grassland have always been involved in different aspects of economic activities notably agriculture, local industry, and trade to sustain their households. Time and circumstances inevitably presented situations compelling them to take economic responsibility by complimenting men's efforts and supplementing family income. This study examines women's involvement in informal trade activities, particularly the petrol (commonly known as fingue or zoa-zoa) trade in Bamenda City. The article draws attention not only to the circumstances and contexts of women's involvement in the informal petrol trade but also to the cutting-edge role they played in the business. The study makes use of written, oral as well as online sources to sustain it thesis.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2021
The critical role of social media as a propaganda and contagion agent in conflict situations was ... more The critical role of social media as a propaganda and contagion agent in conflict situations was tested and proven in the aftermath of Iranian elections in 2009 and in the Arab Spring from December 2010. In the later case, thanks to social media, what began as a Tunisian affair with the self-immolation of a high school educated street vendor, Mohammed Bouazizi, spread like wildfire resulting in generalized revolution in the Arab world. Similarly, what became known as the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon which was caused by accumulated grievances evident in frustrations especially among youth, gelled by the growth of 'Ambazonism' and steered by an ensemble of Cameroonian diaspora was propagated as a twin phenomenon of liberalism and nationalism through social media. The secessionist activists who for the most part were settled in foreign countries used the social media to propagate the ideals of 'Ambazonism' in the most alluring manner, thereby endearing many youth whose hopes in the government had faded nearly beyond restitution. Through Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and even Instagram, the secessionists were radical, making pronouncements and declarations as well as promises enveloped in propagandist statements (largely baseless) which did not only expose the extent of the crisis but enrolled more sympathizers for their course. On the other hand, Counter-Ambazonist sympathizers also took to social media platforms to roll back the gospel of 'Ambazonism'. This has engendered the desire to engage a study on the manner in which these two polar opposite forces used social media propaganda to enlist support for their ideals in a context of crisis. The paper thus attempts an investigation into the central role played by the social media in the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon. The paper summons and analyses data from primary, secondary and most especially internet (social media) sources to succor its central thesis.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2021
The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constitut... more The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constituted by/with people of mixed origins who are products of push and pull migratory trends. Their organizations and forms of power tenure vary in form and content but roughly correspond to centralized and decentralized systems of power structures. As mixed by-product of this settlement pattern, no socio-political group can lay claim of aboriginal rights and perceptions since all of them settled almost at the same time. However, there are a group of forced migrant communities notably, Bawock, Baforkum, Fungeih, Nsongwa, Bambili, and the Cattle Fulani (Mbororo) whose migratory history is not only recent but owe its origin to force or push factors. As forced migrant communities, their sojourn to their present sites as well as their survival provides an interesting migration scholarship. This paper is an attempt to use these communities as cases in point to underscore the pride and prejudice of the forced migrant communities vis-à-vis their early counterparts within the Bamenda Grasslands. After positioning the discourse of forced migrants within space and time by summoning and analyzing data from primary and secondary sources, the paper builds a portrait of this forced migrant communities and details their plight and fortunes in this ecological niche from the earliest settlements to the present. Besides enriching the discourse on missing or difficult to be assimilated migrant communities, it submits from the fertility of its thesis that their emigration from their different sites as well as their settlement and evolution within their host environments constitute an adventure of challenging but overwhelmingly fulfilling moments both to their host communities and the settlers.
South Asian Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2020
This paper argues that colonialism bred the phenomenon of ethnic disintegration among the Mbum le... more This paper argues that colonialism bred the phenomenon of ethnic disintegration among the Mbum leading to mutual suspicion among the various clans. The Mbum constitutes one of the major ethnic identities of the Bamenda Grassland of Cameroon. Historical narratives aver that the people claim disparate origins and migration in three identifiable groups including the Warr, the Yaa and the Tang Clans. Upon their settlement in the Nkambe Plateau, geography, history and culture conspired to knit them together into an ethnic identity. However, colonial encounter with the Germans in 1902 and the British in 1916 led to the implementation of policies that estranged this ethnic identity causing disintegration. Notably, the German divide-and-rule policy sowed the seed for disintegration while the British reorganization of 1935 re-emphasized the Clan lines which forced the people to retrocede into perpetual disintegration. The three Clans became particularistic and attached to individual Warr, Yaa and Tang Clan identities making ethnic unity among the Mbum a misapprehension. This situation created a situation where Clan nationalism superseded ethnic cohesion as manifested during the period of party politics in the area with far reaching attendant repercussions. The paper also provides a microcosm for the appreciation of the degree to which colonial rule and strong attachment to individual national pride has ultimately cost Africa the much cherished unity. Oral, archival as well as written documents were used to defend its thesis.
A casual observation of journalistic practices around the world reveals deep-seated abuses on jou... more A casual observation of journalistic practices around the world reveals deep-seated abuses on journalists and media organizations. While this is a universal state of affair, the situation in Africa is particularly dire due to poor democratic practices and human rights situations. In Cameroon, abuses on journalists and media organizations prevail and have often been blamed on government actors. However, with the advent of the Anglophone Crisis in 2016, a non-state actor emerged to compliment government actions against the free practice of journalism in Bamenda, Capital of the country's North West Region. From this background, this paper contends that, since the emergence of armed pro-separatist groups (known as 'Amba' Boys) in Cameroon's Anglophone Regions of the North West and South West within the framework of the Anglophone Crisis, journalists in and around Bamenda suffered serious infringements on their rights from two mutually opposing groups (including government actors on the one hand and armed separatist groups on the other). The paper analyses written sources, interviews, newspaper articles, internet sites as well as field observations to demonstrate that media men and women in Bamenda suffered abuses ranging from threats, arrests, torture, kidnapping, imprisonment and suspension from both government and 'Amba' Boys within this period. The paper is synchronized in thematiccum-chronological synthesis to sustain logic.
The Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) distinguishes itself not only as the pioneering evangelisti... more The Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) distinguishes itself not only as the pioneering evangelistic mission in Cameroon but also by its Indirect Administrative chain of command known as the Congregational System. By this system of administration, the central administrative unit shifts virtually all responsibilities including infrastructural, personnel, financial and even evangelistic to affiliated local congregations. In spite of the weighty responsibility required from them, the local congregations of the CBC have not compromised the critical duty of evangelism and church planting. As a corollary to this predilection to spread the gospel, many of these congregations have transformed themselves into Church-planting movements. This has invariably reverberated into mind-blogging surge in the number of CBC Churches in Bamenda, Cameroon in recent years. From this background this paper launches an inquest into the mutualism between the Congregational System of Administration and the multi...
The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constitut... more The Bamenda Grassfield locale is an assembly of social, political and economic entities constituted by/with people of mixed origins who are products of push and pull migratory trends. Their organizations and forms of power tenure vary in form and content but roughly correspond to centralized and decentralized systems of power structures. As mixed by-product of this settlement pattern, no socio-political group can lay claim of aboriginal rights and perceptions since all of them settled almost at the same time. However, there are a group of forced migrant communities notably, Bawock, Baforkum, Fungeih, Nsongwa, Bambili, and the Cattle Fulani (Mbororo) whose migratory history is not only recent but owe its origin to force or push factors. As forced migrant communities, their sojourn to their present sites as well as their survival provides an interesting migration scholarship. This paper is an attempt to use these communities as cases in point to underscore the pride and prejudice of the forced migrant communities vis-à-vis their early counterparts within the Bamenda Grasslands. After positioning the discourse of forced migrants within space and time by summoning and analyzing data from primary and secondary sources, the paper builds a portrait of this forced migrant communities and details their plight and fortunes in this ecological niche from the earliest settlements to the present. Besides enriching the discourse on missing or difficult to be assimilated migrant communities, it submits from the fertility of its thesis that their emigration from their different sites as well as their settlement and evolution within their host environments constitute an adventure of challenging but overwhelmingly fulfilling moments both to their host communities and the settlers.
This paper focuses on analyzing life in Mbum communities in the Mambilla Plateau of Taraba State ... more This paper focuses on analyzing life in Mbum communities in the Mambilla Plateau of Taraba State in Nigeria particularly in the towns of Gembu, Nguroje, Maisamari, Jalingo, Kakara, Furmi, Yerrmaru and Mayo Ndaga. In spite of their background of ethnic disintegration at home (in the Nkambe Plateau of Cameroon), the Mbum in the Mambilla Plateau, Taraba State, Nigeria, have forged a strong sense of ethnic integration and constituted themselves into a unit. With the aid of a wide range of source materials including written, oral and field observations, the paper launches an inquest into integration among the Mbum in the Mambilla Plateau. It submits that a number of factors conspired to knit the Mbum in the Mambilla Plateau into an ethnic bond and this significantly influenced their interactions.
Since 2017, English-speaking regions of Cameroon have witnessed armed conflict in its towns and v... more Since 2017, English-speaking regions of Cameroon have witnessed armed conflict in its towns and villages with far-reaching repercussions. This is perhaps one of the worst endogenous armed conflicts in Cameroon since independence in 1960 and reunification in 1961. What is even more engrossing to the mind has been the question as to how corporatist movements initiated by Cameroon Anglophone common law lawyers and teachers soon vitiated into armed confrontation on a scale that can only be compared to anti-colonial movements in French Cameroon from the 1940s to the 1960s. From this basic premise, this paper contends that the armed conflict witnessed in the Anglophone regions since 2017 did not emerge from a vacuum. It has been in gestation in the form of “everyday” resistance since at least the 1970s. The armed conflict has been a concomitant feature of historical milestones marked by accumulated grievances and frustrations, gelled by the growth of ‘Ambazonism’, propagated as the twin p...
Women in the Bamenda Grassland have always been involved in different aspects of economic activit... more Women in the Bamenda Grassland have always been involved in different aspects of economic activities notably agriculture, local industry, and trade to sustain their households. Time and circumstances inevitably presented situations compelling them to take economic responsibility by complimenting men's efforts and supplementing family income. This study examines women's involvement in informal trade activities, particularly the petrol (commonly known as fingue or zoa-zoa) trade in Bamenda City. The article draws attention not only to the circumstances and contexts of women's involvement in the informal petrol trade but also to the cutting-edge role they played in the business. The study makes use of written, oral as well as online sources to sustain it thesis.
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Papers by Raymond Budi