4 - Traditional Authority at the Crossroads of Governance in Republican Cameroon
Corresponding Author(s) : Cosmas Cheka
Africa Development,
Vol. 33 No. 2 (2008): Africa Development
Abstract
The study shows that traditional authority is indeed at the crossroads of governance in republican Cameroon. The citizen is bound by both modern law and traditional values; even if political theorists and leaders of republican institutions take objection to certain traditional values and seem to find difficulty over whether/how to formally integrate traditional authorities into the realm of the republic. Traditional authority incarnates a reassuring institutional stability and certainty to the masses, which elected officers (who come and go) do not provide in republican institutions. The vast majority of the population feels distant from the concept of ‘republic’ at grassroots level, where traditional authority remains the de facto institution of local governance. Based on empirical findings that highlight the important role that traditional authorities play in local development, the paper submits that traditional authorities should be formally integrated into the republican institutional setting by effectively constituting the first level of decentralized institutions of governance.
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- Abdoul, M., 1996, ‘Les communes dans le processus démocratique: la quête difficile d’un pouvoir local électif en Mauritanie’, Africa Development 21(4): 75–92.
- Azarya, Victor and Chazan, Naomi, 1987, ‘Disengagement from the State in Africa: Reflections from the experience of Ghana and Guinea’, Comparative Studies in Society and History 29(1) (January).
- Batley, Richard, 2002, ‘The Changing role of the state in development’, in Desai, V. and Potter, R.B. (eds), The Companion to Development Studies, London: Arnold.
- Beall, Jo, 2005, Funding Local Governance: Small grants for democracy and development, ITDG Publishing, Department for International Development.
- Beridogo, B., 1997, ‘Processus de decentralisation au Mali et couches sociales marginalisés’, APAD Bull.14. Chambers Twentieth Century English Dictionary, Edinburgh: Harrap.
- Cheema, D.S. and Rondinelli, D.A. (eds), 1983, Decentralisation and Government, Beverley Hills, CA: Sage.
- Charlick, Robert, 1992, The Concept of Governance and Its Implications for USAID’s Development Assistance Program in Africa, Washington, DC: USAID. Chazan, Naomi, 1994, ‘Engaging the state: Associational life in Sub-Saharan Africa’, in Migdal, Joel S., Kohli, Atul and Shue, Vivienne (eds), State Power and Social Forces: Domination and transformation in the Third World, Cambridge:
- Cambridge University Press.
- Chem-Langhee, B., 1983, ‘The Origins of the Southern Cameroons House of Chiefs’, International Journal of African Historical Studies 16(4): 653–673.
- Constant, Benjamin, 1980, Principes applicables à tous les gouvernements, reprinted Génève: Droz.
- Cooter, Robert, 1996, ‘The rule of state law and the rule-of-law state’, in Bruno, Michael and Pleskovic, Boris (eds), Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics, Washington, DC: World Bank.
- Crowther, Michael and Obaro, Ikime (eds), 1970, West African Chiefs: Their changing status under colonial rule and independence, New York: African Publishing Co.
- Doornbos, Martin, 2001, ‘‘‘Good Governance’: The rise and decline of a policy metaphor?’’, The Journal of Development Studies 37(6).
- Doornbos, Martin, 2002, ‘State collapse and fresh starts: Some critical reflections’, Development and Change 33(5). Les Droits de l’homme (1791–2) by B. Vincent, reprinted Nancy: Presses Universitaires de Nancy.
- Ekeh, Peter, 1975, ‘Colonialism and the two publics in Africa: A theoretical statement’, Comparative Studies in Society and History 17(1): 91–112.
- Elong Mbassi, Jean Pierre, 1994, ‘Avant propos à La décentralisation en Afrique de l’Ouest’, Actes du séminaire de Ouagadougou, 5–8 avril 1994, Cotonou: PDM.
- Evans, Peter, Rueschemeyer, Dietrich and Skocpol, Theda (eds), 1985, Redefining Political Sociology: Bringing the state back in, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Fisiy, C.F., 1995, ‘Chieftaincy in the modern state: An institution at the crossroads of democratic changei’, Paideuma 41: 49–62.
- Gardinier, D.E., 1963, Cameroon: United Nations Challenge to French Policy, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Geschiere, P., 1993, ‘Chiefs and colonial rule in Cameroon: Inventing chieftaincy, French and British style’, Africa 63(2): 151–175.
- Harneit-Sievers, A., 1998, ‘Igbo traditional rulers: Chieftaincy and the State of Southeastern Nigeria’, Afrika Spectrum 33(1): 57–79.
- Hyden, Goran, Court, Julius and Mease, Kenneth, 2005, ‘Making Sense of Governance: the need for involving local stakeholders’ (unpublished presentation).
- International Crisis Group, 2006, ‘Preliminary Report: Governance in post-conflict settings, literature review’ (March) (unpublished).
- Jua, Nantang, 1995, ‘Indirect rule in colonial and post colonial Cameroon’, Paideuma
- : 39–47.
- Kamto, Maurice, 1999, Dechéance de la Politique, Yaoundé: ed. Mandara. Lagmani, Slim, 1997, ‘Le concept de République dans la pensée occidentale’, in La Républque, Actes du Colloque de Tunis des 2–3 décembre 1994, Tunis: CPU.
- Le Vine, V.T., 1964, The Cameroons: From mandate to independence, Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Madison, James, 1961, The Federalist No. 10 (1787), 77–84, ed. Clinton Rossiter, US.info.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrat/
- Mamdani, Mahmood, 1996, Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Martinussen, John, 1997, Society, State and Market: A guide to competing theories of development, London: Zed Books.
- Migdal, Joel S., 1988, Strong Societies and Weak States: State relations and state capabilities in the Third World, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Migdal, Joel S., 2001, State in Society: Studying how states and societies transform and constitute one another, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Mouiche, I., 1992, ‘Les autorités traditionnelles dans la vie politique moderne au Cameroun: le cas de l’organisation municipale du Noun’, thesis (unpublished) for a Doctorat de 3e Cycle en science politique, Université de Yaoundé.
- Mouiche, I., 1997, ‘Le Royaume de bamoun, les chefferies bamiléké et l’Etat au cameroun’, in P.N. Nkwi and Nyamnjoh, Francis (eds), Regional Balance and National Integration in Cameroun: Lessons learned and the uncertain future, Yaoundé: ASC/ICASSRT, pp. 306–322.
- Mutations, 2006, edition 1779, 10 novembre, http://www.quotidienmutations.net Nack, Mback, Charles, 2000, ‘La chefferie traditionnelle au Cameroun: ambiguités juridiques et dérives politiques’, Africa Development XXV(3 and 4).
- Nkwi, Paul Nchoji, 1976, Traditional Government and Social Change: A study of the political institutions among the Kom and the Cameroon Grassfields, Fribourg: The University Press. Nkwi, Paul Nchoji, ‘Cameroon Grassfield chiefs and modern politics’, Paideuma 25: 99–115.
- Nyamnjoh, Francis, 2002, ‘Might and Right: Chieftaincy and Democracy in Cameroon and Botswana’, Paper prepared for CODESRIA’s 10th General Assembly on Africa in the New Millennium, Kampala, Uganda, 8–12 December.
- Onibon, A., Dabire, B. and Ferroukhi, L., 1999, ‘Local practices and the decentralisation and devolution of natural resource management in French- speaking West Africa: Stakes, challenges’, www.fao.org/docrep/x3030e/x3030e08.htm
- Osaghae, Eghosa E., 2006, ‘Colonialism and civil society in Africa: The perspective of Ekeh’s two publics’, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 17(3): 233–245.
- Osborn’s Concise Law Dictionary, 1976, 6th edn, London: Sweet & Maxwell. Sisk, Timothy D. (ed.), 2001, Democracy at the Local Level: The international
- IDEA Handbook on participation, representation, conflict management and governance, IDEA Handbook Series 4.
- Tohnji, Tikum Sama Walters, 2006, ‘Chiefs (traditional rulers) in Anglophone Cameroon and modern governance 1961–2000’, PhD thesis (unpublished).
- UNDP, 1995, UNDP Priorities in Support of Good Governance.
- UNDP, 1997, Governance for Sustainable Human Development.
- UN ESCAP, 2004, What Is Good Governance?
- Weber, Max: Extracts from Max Weber (chapter 3, page 328): www.mdx.ac.uk/ WWW/STUDY/
- World Bank, 1992, Governance and Development, Washington, DC; World Bank.
- World Bank, 1994, Adjustment in Africa: Reforms, results and the road ahead. A World Bank Policy Research Report. New York: Oxford University Press.
References
Abdoul, M., 1996, ‘Les communes dans le processus démocratique: la quête difficile d’un pouvoir local électif en Mauritanie’, Africa Development 21(4): 75–92.
Azarya, Victor and Chazan, Naomi, 1987, ‘Disengagement from the State in Africa: Reflections from the experience of Ghana and Guinea’, Comparative Studies in Society and History 29(1) (January).
Batley, Richard, 2002, ‘The Changing role of the state in development’, in Desai, V. and Potter, R.B. (eds), The Companion to Development Studies, London: Arnold.
Beall, Jo, 2005, Funding Local Governance: Small grants for democracy and development, ITDG Publishing, Department for International Development.
Beridogo, B., 1997, ‘Processus de decentralisation au Mali et couches sociales marginalisés’, APAD Bull.14. Chambers Twentieth Century English Dictionary, Edinburgh: Harrap.
Cheema, D.S. and Rondinelli, D.A. (eds), 1983, Decentralisation and Government, Beverley Hills, CA: Sage.
Charlick, Robert, 1992, The Concept of Governance and Its Implications for USAID’s Development Assistance Program in Africa, Washington, DC: USAID. Chazan, Naomi, 1994, ‘Engaging the state: Associational life in Sub-Saharan Africa’, in Migdal, Joel S., Kohli, Atul and Shue, Vivienne (eds), State Power and Social Forces: Domination and transformation in the Third World, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Chem-Langhee, B., 1983, ‘The Origins of the Southern Cameroons House of Chiefs’, International Journal of African Historical Studies 16(4): 653–673.
Constant, Benjamin, 1980, Principes applicables à tous les gouvernements, reprinted Génève: Droz.
Cooter, Robert, 1996, ‘The rule of state law and the rule-of-law state’, in Bruno, Michael and Pleskovic, Boris (eds), Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics, Washington, DC: World Bank.
Crowther, Michael and Obaro, Ikime (eds), 1970, West African Chiefs: Their changing status under colonial rule and independence, New York: African Publishing Co.
Doornbos, Martin, 2001, ‘‘‘Good Governance’: The rise and decline of a policy metaphor?’’, The Journal of Development Studies 37(6).
Doornbos, Martin, 2002, ‘State collapse and fresh starts: Some critical reflections’, Development and Change 33(5). Les Droits de l’homme (1791–2) by B. Vincent, reprinted Nancy: Presses Universitaires de Nancy.
Ekeh, Peter, 1975, ‘Colonialism and the two publics in Africa: A theoretical statement’, Comparative Studies in Society and History 17(1): 91–112.
Elong Mbassi, Jean Pierre, 1994, ‘Avant propos à La décentralisation en Afrique de l’Ouest’, Actes du séminaire de Ouagadougou, 5–8 avril 1994, Cotonou: PDM.
Evans, Peter, Rueschemeyer, Dietrich and Skocpol, Theda (eds), 1985, Redefining Political Sociology: Bringing the state back in, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fisiy, C.F., 1995, ‘Chieftaincy in the modern state: An institution at the crossroads of democratic changei’, Paideuma 41: 49–62.
Gardinier, D.E., 1963, Cameroon: United Nations Challenge to French Policy, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Geschiere, P., 1993, ‘Chiefs and colonial rule in Cameroon: Inventing chieftaincy, French and British style’, Africa 63(2): 151–175.
Harneit-Sievers, A., 1998, ‘Igbo traditional rulers: Chieftaincy and the State of Southeastern Nigeria’, Afrika Spectrum 33(1): 57–79.
Hyden, Goran, Court, Julius and Mease, Kenneth, 2005, ‘Making Sense of Governance: the need for involving local stakeholders’ (unpublished presentation).
International Crisis Group, 2006, ‘Preliminary Report: Governance in post-conflict settings, literature review’ (March) (unpublished).
Jua, Nantang, 1995, ‘Indirect rule in colonial and post colonial Cameroon’, Paideuma
: 39–47.
Kamto, Maurice, 1999, Dechéance de la Politique, Yaoundé: ed. Mandara. Lagmani, Slim, 1997, ‘Le concept de République dans la pensée occidentale’, in La Républque, Actes du Colloque de Tunis des 2–3 décembre 1994, Tunis: CPU.
Le Vine, V.T., 1964, The Cameroons: From mandate to independence, Berkeley: University of California Press.
Madison, James, 1961, The Federalist No. 10 (1787), 77–84, ed. Clinton Rossiter, US.info.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrat/
Mamdani, Mahmood, 1996, Citizen and Subject: Contemporary Africa and the Legacy of Late Colonialism. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Martinussen, John, 1997, Society, State and Market: A guide to competing theories of development, London: Zed Books.
Migdal, Joel S., 1988, Strong Societies and Weak States: State relations and state capabilities in the Third World, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Migdal, Joel S., 2001, State in Society: Studying how states and societies transform and constitute one another, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mouiche, I., 1992, ‘Les autorités traditionnelles dans la vie politique moderne au Cameroun: le cas de l’organisation municipale du Noun’, thesis (unpublished) for a Doctorat de 3e Cycle en science politique, Université de Yaoundé.
Mouiche, I., 1997, ‘Le Royaume de bamoun, les chefferies bamiléké et l’Etat au cameroun’, in P.N. Nkwi and Nyamnjoh, Francis (eds), Regional Balance and National Integration in Cameroun: Lessons learned and the uncertain future, Yaoundé: ASC/ICASSRT, pp. 306–322.
Mutations, 2006, edition 1779, 10 novembre, http://www.quotidienmutations.net Nack, Mback, Charles, 2000, ‘La chefferie traditionnelle au Cameroun: ambiguités juridiques et dérives politiques’, Africa Development XXV(3 and 4).
Nkwi, Paul Nchoji, 1976, Traditional Government and Social Change: A study of the political institutions among the Kom and the Cameroon Grassfields, Fribourg: The University Press. Nkwi, Paul Nchoji, ‘Cameroon Grassfield chiefs and modern politics’, Paideuma 25: 99–115.
Nyamnjoh, Francis, 2002, ‘Might and Right: Chieftaincy and Democracy in Cameroon and Botswana’, Paper prepared for CODESRIA’s 10th General Assembly on Africa in the New Millennium, Kampala, Uganda, 8–12 December.
Onibon, A., Dabire, B. and Ferroukhi, L., 1999, ‘Local practices and the decentralisation and devolution of natural resource management in French- speaking West Africa: Stakes, challenges’, www.fao.org/docrep/x3030e/x3030e08.htm
Osaghae, Eghosa E., 2006, ‘Colonialism and civil society in Africa: The perspective of Ekeh’s two publics’, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 17(3): 233–245.
Osborn’s Concise Law Dictionary, 1976, 6th edn, London: Sweet & Maxwell. Sisk, Timothy D. (ed.), 2001, Democracy at the Local Level: The international
IDEA Handbook on participation, representation, conflict management and governance, IDEA Handbook Series 4.
Tohnji, Tikum Sama Walters, 2006, ‘Chiefs (traditional rulers) in Anglophone Cameroon and modern governance 1961–2000’, PhD thesis (unpublished).
UNDP, 1995, UNDP Priorities in Support of Good Governance.
UNDP, 1997, Governance for Sustainable Human Development.
UN ESCAP, 2004, What Is Good Governance?
Weber, Max: Extracts from Max Weber (chapter 3, page 328): www.mdx.ac.uk/ WWW/STUDY/
World Bank, 1992, Governance and Development, Washington, DC; World Bank.
World Bank, 1994, Adjustment in Africa: Reforms, results and the road ahead. A World Bank Policy Research Report. New York: Oxford University Press.