The Bafut Wars were a series of wars fought in the early 20th century between the troops of the
Fon of Bafut and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
-backed troops of neighbouring
fondoms and German troops.
The wars ultimately led to a defeat for the
Fon of Bafut, forcing him into
exile
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
, and making the
Fondom of Bafut part of the German protectorate of
Kamerun.
During the Bafut Wars, the strategic landscape was characterized by two distinct types of settlements. Primarily, there were the semi-autonomous villages, each governed by its own chief known as the atangchuo, who played a crucial role as the war planner. These villages operated with a degree of independence but were intricately linked to the central authority under various conditions that dictated their relationship dynamics. These conditions often influenced alliances, resource sharing, and military strategies during the conflicts that ensued in the region.
Timeline
1889: The German explorer
Eugene Zintgraff visits the town of
Bafut as one of his punitive expeditions after visiting
Bali Nyonga.. Breaches of etiquette by Eugen Zintgraff with respect to the
Fon of Bafut Abumbi I was looked upon as deliberately hostile acts instigated by the
Fon of Bali Nyonga.
1891: German-led forces from
Bali Nyonga attacked
Mankon - an ally of Bafut. The attack was a reprisal of the death of two of Eugene Zintgraff's messengers sent to Bafut to demand ivory. The town of Mankon was burnt down by the force on January 31, 1891. Warriors from Bafut and Mankon attacked the attacking force on their return journey and inflicted heavy losses on them. This is the Battle of Mankon.
1901 - 1907: The German
Schutztruppe
(, Protection Force) was the official name of the colonial troops in the African territories of the German colonial empire from the late 19th century to 1918. Similar to other colonial armies, the consisted of volunteer European commissioned a ...
,
initially under the Schutztruppe commander
von Pavel raided Bafut several times in 1901, 1904–1905 and 1907. This resulted in the exile of the
Fon of Bafut Abumbi I to
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region (Cameroon), Littoral Region. It was home to Central Africa's largest port, now being replaced by Kribi port. It has the country ...
for a year. He was reinstated under German rule as no suitable proxy rulers could be found.
The military headquarters of
Abumbi I during the Bafut Wars at
Mankaha in Bafut now houses a war memorial to the Bafut people. The guest house (which was the residence for the Fon built by the Germans) at the present palace of the Fon houses a museum. The museum houses a special section on the ''Battle of Mankon'', with the skulls of four dead German soldiers, their arms and ammunition.
References
*''The Cameroon Tribune'', No. 600, p. 2, December 26, 1996
{{reflist
Kamerun
African resistance to colonialism
20th century in Cameroon
20th-century conflicts
Wars involving the German Empire
Wars involving Germany