Abstract

The Mbororo are a pastoralist people and belong to the ethnic category of Fulbe/Fulani/Peul. Descending from Kano in Nigeria, they entered Cameroon in the 19th century and settled predominantly in the Adamaoua and the Northwest Region. Due to their late arrival and being a minority, the Mbororo have long been considered ‘strangers’, ‘late-comers’ and ‘nomads’ by the local population as well as by the colonial and post-colonial administration. In recent years, however, the Mbororo have laid claim to the status of an ‘indigenous people’ of Cameroon, thus demanding their rights as Cameroonian citizens and as a marginalised minority. This presentation will focus on transformations in Mbororo political identity and conflict strategies over the past twenty years. It will pay special attention to the role of non-governmental and civil society organisations in brokering the relationship between the Mbororo, their farming neighbours, the Cameroonian government and the international development establishment. Moreover, it will consider Mbororo engagement in the indigenous and human rights movement as well as its impact on local rivalries over land and power.