Cameroon's US Ambassador meets with Traditional Body Guards

Innocent Chia

In an amateur video shoot circulating on Cameroon cyber groups, Cameroon’s Ambassador to the United States, Joseph Bienvenue Charles Foe-Atangana has been inviting Cameroonians in and around the D.C metropolis to a cultural evening at a popular Cameroon joint on Friday night, March 18th, 2011. The video of talking-heads predominantly features traditional chiefs - supposedly custodians of the culture and traditions – of villages mostly from the grass field regions of Cameroon.

 

As a son whose early childhood was squarely steeped in my Kom culture, traditions and history, the mockery of seeing people who are, otherwise, no more than palace guards introduce themselves as chiefs in America speaks volumes about the extent to which the government has compromised the authority of real traditional rulers in Cameroon to effect its divide and rule policy.

In my primary school history lessons I remember that there were five major fondoms in the then Northwest Province (now Northwest Region) – the Fon of Bafut; the Fon of Bali; the Fon of Banso; the Fon of Kom and the Fon of Mankon. Indeed, growing up in Kom we played games where the loser had to offer a Fon of lesser stature as bounty to the winner. As I remember it, the Fon of Mbesnaku, for instance, was one of those Fons that I often gave up. But I also gave up the Fon of Bangolan, Isu and so many others that the other kids, and even adults, readily put on the chopping table. It is rarely ever that one of the five major Fons hitherto listed was offered as spoils of the war to another big Fon.

There is not a single “village chief” among those featuring in the nine minutes long video with the Ambassador that is from any of the five big Kingdoms of the Northwest Region. Without exception, and at best, they would have fallen in the category of sub-chiefs and nchindas that most any Kom kid and adult would have given away to save their skin in a fight.

 Washington D.C has, in recent years however, become the beltway for intestinal fights and posturing by some unscrupulous individuals who have left their villages but are still slaves of practices that they feel compelled to perpetuate if only for personal gains and agendas. While there may be one or two of them that can legitimately point to a people and territory as their spheres of authority, the most part, particularly those featured in this video, are jesters at best in the court of a real Fon. To put things in perspective, will any one of these chiefs or Fons in the video claim that while in their respective villages in Cameroon they will seat in the same row with any of the Fons listed heretofore, or even five rows behind the village Fon?

It is common knowledge that since the pauperization of traditional rulers through the creation of tier chiefdoms (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th class chiefs), palaces have become beggars doling out traditional titles for whatever they can get. With a relatively high dollar value, it is no wonder that the floodgates are ajar for those travelling to their villages in Cameroon to pay their way into royalty. In some instances, traditional chiefs - including His Roya Highness Fon Angwafor of Mankon – who have travelled to the United States have travelled with their palaces and all the accessories needed to generate income to feed the Fons many wives, children and grand entourage.

Be it in the palace or out in the Diaspora, there is little arguing that the vetting process of who is titled with a symbolic feather has slipped through the cracks and fallen into the wide open mouths of famished dogs and wolves.  These are the DC chiefs. They have no territories in Cameroon, and no one pays allegiance to them. But these ego-tripping- Nigerian-type-419 wannabes are having their moment to shine as Ambassador Bienvenue Atangana rallies them for a photo-up that Biya will eventually use as a ringing endorsement from “appointed chiefs of Cameroon’s Diaspora in the United States of America”.

These are the moments when I ask myself how much it costs to betray your people. My question comes on the heels of the goal of this grand meeting uttered by one of the cultural elite in the video: “to meet with the Ambassador to discuss culture and the economy”. The culture and the economy are certainly very important. But why would a meeting at this crucial time in human history exempt politics in an election year of monumental importance to Cameroon and Cameroonians, even as North Africa finally tries to catch up with democratic changes that most of the developed world underwent in the 20th century?

Does it make sense that the Ambassador will organize such an event and stay as far away from politics as a shadow from its owner in the evening? But maybe someone will tell me why he Ambassador will be integrally involved in such an organization and not politicize it now or in the very near future. Without stereotyping Cameroonians, one can already hear some typical comments: “Let us go and have our own share of the bounty. It is our money and we should go eat it…After all, if we don’t go, some other people will go and the outcome will be the same”.

As for the Ambassador, he lays the claim - in extremely broken English that speaks to La Republique du Cameroun’s disdain for the annexed Southern Cameroons population - he lays the claim that such meetings are a replica of his Calabar days in Nigeria. It is befuddling how in all these years serving in English language countries the man has failed in English 101.

It is even harder to discuss what the substance of it all will be because the event is slated to begin at 6:00pm and to last till 3:00am. In less than 30 seconds of soundbite, one of the organizers says it will be an event at which the Ambassador will talk about facilitating the establishment of businesses for Cameroonians in the Diaspora who wish to set up at home or even in Ameirca. Please Hon. Ambassador, just make the rules and processes of establishing businesses in Cameroon straightforward and provide an applicable tax law that even your enforcement officers can enforce across the board.

Instead, looped and re-looped in the video is the invitation to come and have “fun”. Forgive me if I can’t find the energy, Hon. Ambassador and the royal suite of piss drinkers, to have “fun” even as Gaddafi exterminates thousands of Libyans; forgive me, Hon Ambassador and your band of handclapping yes men, if I cannot have “fun” while President Biya plots to kill more Cameroonians in order to extend his reign; forgive me, Hon Ambassador, if I cannot have “fun” on the dime of the Cameroonian tax payer who hardly knows where the next meal will come from or where his unemployed 30 years old college graduate will get a job; forgive me, Hon. Ambassador, if I cannot have “fun” while your President placates 25000 young Cameroonians that he will hire them while the State cannot meet its financial obligations to retirees.

Have fun, Hon. Ambassador and delegation of Fons.  But know that in grassfield culture, the Fon does not eat in the same room with the rest of his subjects. Lest I forget, you have no subjects and no territory to return to and be called a chief. You are only chiefs in your eyes and the eyes of the Hon. Ambassador. 

 

Comments

[Kelvin Ross]

These hungry idiots represent a cultural disaster to the entire grassfield people and shall pay a heavy price for this betrayal. Dogs and vultures will eat your corpses and future generation of Southern Cameroonians shall spit on your parents grave. Boxer charles foe bienvenue is having a field with some clowns. The future shall tell.

[Ete Kamba]

Beggars. Who are their subjects. Anybody can now buy a title,including Ebini Christmas who went to his village and bought a Title to brag about with it. Nonsense people.

[Moh Feungoh]

Hypocrites! Hypocrites!Boot-lickers! What a shame! We meet with you everyday and you damn the Biya's regime in the dark and pretend in the open to recognize it as to encourage other folks to sit and discuss with them? The real Chiefs and Fons back home should take note and ban these hypocrites and usurpers from their villages or Fondoms. Its shameful how low you folks can go to beg for recognition by a criminal and collapsing regime so as to be able to pick the crumbs falling from the table. Oh! the world is really gone crazy.

[Dave Ewusi]

I can see in this video that the ambassador is wearing the traditional northwest regalia. I conclude that this golden occasion was handed to him on a platter and he was only too happy to oblige, never mind that the real authors do not legitimately represent the cameroonian community in Washington.

[Andrew Tanjong]

This sounds like a scene out of one of Shakespears play but with an illiterate caste.I cannot remember ever crossed paths in school anywhere with the clown of the Ambassador. How he became "Ambassador", only goes to prove the merit system in the eyes of french camrounese. Or may be he attended the "University" of Mvomeka in the primitive hartland of the Ignorant Betis clan. In what language is he communing with the the other jesters called chiefs? I guess birds of the same feathers really flock together as the saying goes. This is utter madness, wearing clothes ans speaking like human beings. Let them have fun. Laughs best he who laughs last.

The CPDM and their chief Mr. Paul Biya have all but failed and even unborn babes know it and some looneys still want him - Biya - to continue? Biya will fight that war he is planning with his beti generals alone. Let him see what is happening in Libya with his brother in crime.

True Patriots of Southern Cameroons should stand and let's beat them to their game and then walk away leaving to come begging as they did during French colonial rule.

[Enoanyi Frank]

Why does the NW region continue to play "two side cutlass" in Cameroon politics..?. It is a shame when the real fons themselves started shaking hands with the President and naming him Fon of Fons....Sad to know they have no more value in ...the eyes the people

[Sherell Elangwe]

"...In some instances, traditional chiefs - including His Roya Highness Fon Angwafor of Mankon – who have travelled to the United States have travelled with their palaces and all the accessories needed to generate income to feed the Fons many wives, children and grand entourage..."

B*t%hing is as Cameroonian as Mt Fako... !!! I wonder what YOUR (3rd person plural) reaction would have been, if the theme of these gathering (whatever it was) was POLITICS!!!! I think the Honorable Ambassador (whether you agree with him or not) has every right to dawn any traditional regalia of any tribe or clan of Cameroonian origin, just as much as we all do !!! I have read this article several times and quite frankly I don't get the point. Na weti b una problem...seriously!

What primary school curriculum covers local chiefdoms of Cameroon? It's barely been a minute since Cameroon History is being thought in our secondary schools, where in God's name did you attend primary school? Just because you don't like/approve/fraternize (pick your word) with the folks in the video doesn't give you the right to insult them. Well, let me re-phrase that, you have a right to free and hatefull speech, but you also have a moral responsibility as to how to exercise that right.

I'm sick and tired of this constant barrage of insults to people who don't share your views and beliefs. frankly some of you of the so called "opposition" are just the same as the folks in power, if not worse. You guys are vile, incapable of telling the truth, power hungry as a mofo, lack basic understanding of anything Cameroon, I mean, really pathetic!!!

My conclusion is, whoever wrote this gabage is a prime example of the failure of the Cameroonian educaton system...gosh!! What an insult to my people. What's the big deal about being from the N.W Region and supporting the CPDM regime!? Because some man na abakwa man e must b na oppossant!? At the same time una d claim for d fight for democratic rights!!! We can see those lil tricks, folks!!! Wolves in sheep clothing.

[foesfoe]

Foe is now sub fon of fons. Be careful, when this dude is pissed he fights.

[Moh Feungoh]

Of which village in the North West is this your clown of Ambassador? If a beti chief as supposed, then should not dress in his own local attire? I see him raising his shoulders clad in the North West attire.Has he also been crowned fon of all Ambassadors like his master Biya? Wonders shall never end. What a sham!

[Gan Charles]

There are actually some chiefs or fons in diaspora, so not all are impersonators. That said, I am at a loss as to the purpose of these meetings. Is the Ambassador saying that he will relay concerns of those in the meetings to the Cameroon government? And if that were the case, does he think the government will address these issues? This is another reactive gimmick to pacify Cameroonians and make them feel the government is listening to them. The Ambassador suggests a quarterly meeting schedule. I hope he can show progress in the next few quarters, that is if the attendees intend to conduct serious discuss and demand progress reports from Mr. Ambassador. Or is is just going to "chop" as usual.

[Emmanuel Wembenyui]

Hi Innocent,

Thanks lot for the writeup whose caption appears in the subject line. Your analysis about some of the fake traditional leaders in that 9-minute video you wrote about is very correct.

I come from Babungo, which shares boundary with you. In Babungo we only have one fon. We do not have a vice fon. After the fon we only have quarter heads. I was very embarrassed and surprised to see the quarter head of Muokang quarter in Babungo introduce himself as Chief Bajon III; second in command in Babungo kingdom. His wife also addressed herself as a Queen. What a very misguided introduction? I think the 2 legitimate fons in that video are those from Donga Mantung and Bamukumbit and should stop associating themselves with these charlatans. What do these impersonators intend to gain from these lies and what is Camroyals meant to achieve?

Please, keep writing. I enjoy your writing.

Regards,
Emmanuel Wembenyui.