Martin-Paul Samba, born Mebenga m'Ebono ( 1875 – 8 August 1914) was a

Bulu Bulu may refer to: * Bulu (bread) (or Bolo), a sweet, round bread of Sephardi Jewish origin * Bulu (Fijian mythology), the underworld in the mythology of Fiji * A subgroup of the Beti-Pahuin people of Cameroon ** Bulu language, spoken by the Bulu ...

military officer during the

Imperial German (, literally translated ) is an archaic term for those ethnic Germans who resided within the German state that was founded in 1871. In contemporary usage, it referred to German citizens, the word signifying people from the German ', i.e., Imp ...

colonial period of

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

. M'Ebono became a favourite of the German colonials during his upbringing in

Kribi Kribi is a beach resort and sea port in Cameroon. Location The coastal town of Kribi lies on the Gulf of Guinea, in Océan, Océan Department, South Province (Cameroon), South Province, at the mouth of the Kienké River. This location, lies a ...

, a coastal settlement in southern Cameroon. He was sent to Germany in 1891 to enter the German Military Academy; he was baptised Martin-Paul Samba while abroad. Upon graduation, Samba returned to Cameroon and accompanied German military expeditions across the colony. Samba resigned his commission in 1902 and entered private business in

Ebolowa Ebolowa is a city in Cameroon. It is the capital of the South Region (Cameroon), South Region and the Mvila department. Its economy is primarily agricultural, with cocoa bean being its main crop. Economy Agriculture Agriculture is the primar ...

. He began to plot an

uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

against the Germans. He secretly contacted British and French forces to secure arms, but one such letter was intercepted. German forces arrested him and charged him with

high treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...

. Samba was executed on 8 August 1914. Today, many Cameroonian historians view Samba as one of Cameroon's earliest heroes and

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

s.DeLancey and DeLancey 236. His memory is commemorated by a statue in

Childhood and German collaboration

Mebenga m'Ebono was born circa 1875 in a village known as Metoutou-Engong, near

in what is today the South Province of

. He was a member of the Yemeyema clan of the

ethnic group.Ngoh 355. When Mebenga's was orphaned as an infant, his uncle, Oban Ebono, took the child into his care. In 1885, Ebono sent Mebenga to be raised by Banoho Issamba, a Batanga man who had come to prominence as a trader in the coastal settlement of

. Mebenga spent the rest of his childhood there. The young Mebenga became a favourite of the

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 ...

colonials who lived in Kribi.DeLancey and DeLancey 235. He entered the service of German explorer Kurt von Morgan, whom he accompanied on expeditions beginning in 1889. Two years later, von Morgan paid to have m'Ebono educated in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Mebenga entered the German Military Academy, where he was given the name Samba. That November, he was baptised as Martin-Paul. Samba graduated in 1894 with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

.Ngoh 114. Samba returned to

Kamerun Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon. Kamerun also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern ...

that same year. For the next seven years, he accompanied German expeditions under the command of Hans Dominik to explore the Kamerun hinterland and subjugate native resistance. Samba participated in actions against the settlements of Bati and

Tibati Tibati (Fula: Tibati 𞤼𞤭𞤦𞤢𞤼𞤭) is a town and commune in the Adamawa Region, Cameroon. The town and region are ruled by a local monarch, the Lamido. History The Vute and Mboum people are the native inhabitants of the Tibati area. ...

and against several Ngila and Limba villages. Samba's own people came to view him as a turncoat.DeLancey and DeLancey 235-6. In 1902, he resigned his commission to become a businessman in Ebolowa.

Samba the rebel

Samba's views slowly changed regarding the Germans. He came to disdain the colonials' mistreatment of Bulu women and children. The 1911 appointment of Karl Atangana as

paramount chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for a king or queen or the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a Chiefdom, chief-based system. This term is used occasionally ...

of the Ewondo and Bane worried Samba, who felt that the Germans were favouring the Ewondo over the Bulu, giving the Ewondo the edge in the long rivalry between the ethnic groups. He began to entertain notions of being a great

and of uniting all Kamerun under the leadership of the Bulu. Meanwhile, Samba became a

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

in the Bulu hierarchy in 1910. In 1912, Samba began actively planning an

. He entered correspondence with

Rudolf Duala Manga Bell Rudolf Duala Manga Bell (1873 – 8 August 1914) was a Duala king and resistance leader in the German colony of Kamerun (Cameroon). After being educated in both Kamerun and Europe, he succeeded his father Manga Ndumbe Bell on 2 September 1908 ...

, a like-minded leader from the

Duala Duala or Douala can refer to: Relating to Cameroon * Duala people, an ethnic group in Cameroon * Duala language, part of the Bantu languages * Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, founded by the Duala people * Rudolf Duala Manga Bell (1873–1914), ...

ethnic group. The two decided to request aid from Germany's enemies, Samba to contact the French, and Manga Bell the British. Meanwhile, Samba began training Bulu warriors in tactics to use against the German army. He gained the support of other southern Cameroonian leaders, including Madola of the Batanga and Edande Mbita. The rebels stockpiled weapons and munitions. Samba even requested weapons from the German themselves, ostensibly to ward off Ewondo unrest that had led to some uprisings north of Bululand.Ngoh 115. A Bulu informant alerted the Germans of Samba's plans. By July 1914, the colonial forces were suspicious enough to search his home, where they found numerous receipts for arms purchases from British and French suppliers. At the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1914, Samba sent a letter to the French forces at

Brazzaville Brazzaville () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Republic of the Congo. Administratively, it is a Departments of the Republic of the Congo, department and a Communes of the Republic of the Congo, commune. Constituting t ...

stating his intent to rebel and requesting aid against the Germans. Colonial forces intercepted the correspondence. Samba was arrested on 1 August 1914 and charged with

. His collaborators, Madola, Edande Mbita, and others, were also arrested when stockpiles of arms were found in their homes. The men were tried by

military tribunal Military justice (or military law) is the body of laws and procedures governing members of the armed forces. Many nation-states have separate and distinct bodies of law that govern the conduct of members of their armed forces. Some states us ...

. All were found guilty. On 8 August 1914, Samba and his collaborators were executed by

firing squad Firing may refer to: * Dismissal (employment), sudden loss of employment by termination * Firemaking, the act of starting a fire * Burning; see combustion * Shooting, specifically the discharge of firearms * Execution by firing squad, a method of ...

Notes

References

* DeLancey, Mark W., and DeLancey, Mark Dike (2000): ''Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon'' (3rd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press. * Ngoh, Victor Julius (1996): ''History of Cameroon Since 1800''. Limbe: Presbook. {{DEFAULTSORT:Samba, Martin-Paul 1870s births 1914 deaths People from South Region (Cameroon) Cameroonian rebels Cameroonian traditional rulers People of former German colonies 19th-century German military personnel 20th-century German military personnel Kamerun People executed by Germany by firing squad 20th-century executions for treason People executed for treason against Germany People executed by the German Empire Executed Cameroonian people Mutineers