The Fon of Bafut is the fon or Mfor (traditional ruler) of the town of Bafut and its adjoining areas in the Northwest Province, Cameroon, which comprise the erstwhile Fondom of Bafut. At present, the Fon of Bafut is still a local ruler, but under the jurisdiction of the Government of Cameroon, and a board of Fons. Bafut is one of the largest villages in the North West Province.
Once autocratic, the Fondom of Bafut was turned into a part of the German protectorate of Cameroon (Kamerun Schutzgebiet) due to increasing tension, military conflict, and finally defeat at the hands of the Germans in the Bafut Wars (1901–1907) during the reign of Abumbi I. After World War I, the Fon of Bafut and his people became part of the British protectorate of the CameroonsorBritish Cameroon.
The Fon of Bafut is perhaps best remembered due to Gerald Durrell's humorous portrayal of the Fon Achirimbi II in his books describing animal-collecting missions to Bafut in the 1940s and 1950s – Bafut Beagles and A Zoo in My Luggage.
The Fon had titular powers in pre-independent Cameroon. He had multifarious functions:
The Fon was assisted and advised by titled royals – the most prominent among them being the Mamfor or the mother of the Fon, either his real mother or a sister. In addition there were two fraternal assistants called Ndimfor (the elder brother) and Muma (younger brother). However, none of these royals served as regent in the case of the Fon's death or indisposition.
The body which actually shared power with the Fon and deputised for him was the council of elders or Kwifor. The strength of the Kwifor lay in its role as a council of kingmakers; it was thus a check on royal power. The Fon acknowledged this and tried as much as possible to avoid confrontation with the Kwifor.
The Germans tried to put a puppet ruler in place of the Fon after the Bafut Wars, but failed. The Fon Abumbi I was openly hostile to the Germans, and diplomacy was not pursued.
The idea of decentralised governance by local people was put into practice in July 1917 in the British Cameroon when the District officer inaugurated an 'Instructional Court' in Bamenda. This was an assembly of chiefs from surrounding communities who were summoned to be instructed in the new native court ordinance and to go on to form the new courts. The membership of the court consisted of 27 chiefs with the Fon of Bafut Abumbi I appointed as president due to his role as the "supreme fon".
The court proved only mildly successful, but his son Achirimbi II was very tolerant of the British. He alienated himself from other Fons by being sympathetic to the British cause and was awarded a Certificate of Honour by the British government 'as a record of the valuable services rendered by him to his own country and people and to the British Government... and loyal services given to the Administration in the maintenance of good order'.
Even in the post colonial period, the Fon of Bafut has been an important administrative force. When asked whether to join the independent country of Cameroon from the British Cameroons, Fon Achirimbi II famously said that it was a choice between the "Fire and the Deep Sea".
Bafut is one of many places in Northwest and West Cameroon where traditional power structures are still in place. The Fon of Bafut also holds several important administrative positions including that of the head of the North West Fons' Union (NOWEFU), and member of the Management Board of the North-West Development Authority (MIDENO).
The Fon participates in virtually all the important ceremonies of Bafut. Some of the most important ones are:
The grass-cutting ceremony and the annual dance were described by Gerald Durrell in detail in his accounts The Bafut Beagles, and A Zoo in My Luggage.
The palace of the Fon of Bafut or Ntoh is a major tourist attraction and is listed in the 2006 World Monuments Watch list of the 100 most endangered sites of 2006 by the World Monuments Fund.
The original palace was built out of wood and liana. The complex and the central shrine were burnt to the ground by the Germans in the Bafut Wars, but was rebuilt over the period 1907 – 1910 with help from the Germans after the signing of the peace treaty. Its buildings represent both colonial influences and indigenous vernacular architectural styles, and are mostly made of fired bricks covered by tiles. The residence built by the Germans for the Fon presently serve as the guest house, and also houses a museum. Fon Abumbi II has declared that the museum will feature relics from the Battle of Mankon (1891), of the Bafut Wars, when warriors from Bafut routed a German expeditionary force.
Only one building from the original palace stands – it is supposed to shelter the spirit of the Fon's ancestors. It is the Achum – the old palace, and has a striking architecture with its pyramidal thatched roof. Only the Fon and some village notables are allowed entry into the Achum.
There are two other older palaces of the Fon of Bafut.
| # | Royal name (Personal Name) |
Lifespan | Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feurlu | unknown | 1516 – 1552
36 years |
|
| 2 | Nebasi Suh | unknown | 1552 – 1570
18 years |
|
| 3 | Ambebi Ferh | unknown | 1570 – 1635
65 years |
|
| 4 | Nebanfor | unknown | 1635 – 1677
42 years |
|
| 5 | Chunga | unknown | 1677 – 1708
31 years |
|
| 6 | Ngwa Abi-Fu
(Sulem) |
unknown | 1708 – 1752
44 years |
|
| 7 | Tumfong
(Njwabi) |
unknown | 1752 – 1799
47 years |
|
| 8 | Achirimbi I | ? - 1852 or c. 1884[1] | 1799 – 1852 or c. 1884[1]
53 years? or 85 years? |
|
| 9 | Abumbi I | ? - August 1932 | 1852 or c. 1884[1] – August 1932
80 years? or 48 years? |
resisted German rule for 6 years, eventually captured and dethroned |
| 10 | Achirimbi II (Su Ayieh)[2] |
? – December 1968[3] | August 1932 – December 1968 36 years |
|
| 11 | Abumbi II | 1951 – present | December 1968 – present 55 years, 198 days |
