Autorités traditionnelles et désir d’hégémonie dans le champ politique au Nord-Cameroun

Abstract

In North Cameroon, the traditional rulers occupy a privileged position in the local political landscape. In spite of their domestication by the postcolonial state, the traditional authorities succeeded in keeping a safe distance for manoeuvre in their functioning and organization. Even though during the process of democratization in the 1990s in which many African countries were involved, traditional heads took an active part in political competition, it remains true that holders of traditional powers still enjoy a certain degree of social legitimacy. At Tokombéré where this study is carried out, the traditional chiefs have a quasi hegemonic position within the local political communities. Only that these leaders have not embraced democratic values in spite of their exposure to the sociopolitical pluralism which has been blowing across Cameroon for the past two decades. The regime of this chieftaincy system (lamidalism) in North Cameroon is rather favourable to the expression of primary authoritarianism in modern politics. The lamidal ideology has permeated the local political communities to the point of codifying social interactions and ushering in a type of conformist political attitude. The revival of the lamidal domination or better still traditional bigmanism can be explained in this light.