Disruptive colonial boundaries and attempts to resolve land / boundary disputes in the Grasslands of Bamenda, Cameroon

Abstract

The 1990s ushered in an unprecedented wave of violent land/boundary disputes between village-groups in the Grasslands of Bamenda, North-West Province of Cameroon, on a scale that had never been witnessed before. Widespread hardship, introduced by the prevailing economic crisis was blamed for these disputes. But on closer examination it became clear that land/boundary disputes in the region have their roots in European colonialism, and derive largely from administrative policies that were disruptive on inter-village boundaries. Despite the efforts of British colonial authorities at resolving these disputes before the close of the colonial era, they have persisted because post-colonial administrations in Cameroon have failed to judiciously address them.