Studies on the status of African traditional rulers during colonial rule have repeatedly emphasized the denigration of the position, power and influence of traditional chiefs during the colonial period. But for a more balanced appraisal of the impact of colonialism, African traditional rulers needed not only to be presented as losers. This paper focuses on the role played by traditional rulers in Cameroon during the period of German colonial rule. It demonstrates that notwithstanding the treatment meted out to chiefs by the German colonialists, African traditional rulers exploited their positions within the colonial dispensation to protect and advance their interests. One major outcome was that there were noticeable transformations and shifts in local and regional power relations amongst traditional chiefs. Some local chiefs gained greater recognition with indisputable accompanying influence and some of such gains have survived to the post-colonial period.
The tremendous heterogeneity in ethnic composition and geography makes Cameroon a breeding ground for both ethnic and regional diversity. Colonisation added to the diversity as Cameroon was the only African country that was administered by three European powers, Germany, France and Britain. Since its accession to independence five decades ago, ethnicity and regionalism have been among the most contentious issues plaguing the Cameroon polity. In the 1990s, these two evils took an unprecedented dimension due to the new forces unleashed by the reintroduction of multiparty democracy. This development has been described in academic discourses as the politics of identity or autochthony. This chapter revisits this phenomenon, focusing specifically on its nature, causes, magnitude and consequences for the progress of Cameroon society. Recognising the reality of diversity in Cameroon, it argues that the resurgence of ethno-regional politics in the 1990s was due in large part to the state's failure to contain and manage diversity within the population. As a consequence, ethno-regional cleavages have disrupted the smooth running of the society. No sector has been spared.
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