Investigative report: Part of Toumaka historic market relocated by Babadjou Council against the will of their Bamessingue neighbors

By Stephen Tadaha.

It was an uncertain atmosphere on Thursday, April 27, 2023, exactly one month after the decision was taken to relocate the Babadjou part of the market. Many came not for the excitement of having a new market, but to see if it will actually take place. This is because prior to this day, tension had been mounting between the two communities. I was told that the atmosphere was tense that morning but with meditation from traditional rulers, the two parties exercised restraint. But a day before the relocation, there were clashes between Babadjou Council agents and inhabitants of Bamessingue.

When I arrived at the scene, I immediately spotted the presence of a military vehicle.

Toumaka is a Square in the Bamboutos Division, Cameroon’s Western Region, situated at the boundary between Babadjou and Bamessingue communities. These communities are also close to Santa subdivision in the North West region. The Toumaka market before now operated for a long time as a periodic market where the population from the two municipalities met weekly for their activities.

But things were about to change when on March 27, 2023, when the Mayor of Babadjou, Tsangue Gisèle in a release, announced the relocation of the Babadjou part of the Toumaka market, to a site in Babadjou subdivision. The order from the municipal authority gave April 27, as the deadline for the relocation process. She explained that the aim was to decongest the Square which used to be overcrowded on market days leading to the illegal occupation of spaces on the national road, number 6, connecting to the North West.

After making a trip to the two sites on Thursday, April 27, I noticed that the traders responded in their respective ways to the order.

The Babadjou part of Toumaka was completely empty on Thursday morning, facilitating the circulation of vehicles; signs that traders selling on that site relocated to the new venue which was also operational to the satisfaction of municipal and traditional authorities who supervised the process.

” We have no problem with our Bamessingue brothers. Our main aim is to develop our municipality and Toumaka was too tight for that. Our parcel of land in Toumaka was small and you all know very well. Many of us used to be on the roadside and this exposed our mothers and children to risks of having accidents along the newly rehabilitated national number 6 road,” the Mayor of Babadjou who ordered the relocation, Tsangue Gisèle, said.

Traders commend initiative

Many traders especially from Babadjou, who relocated to the new site, expressed satisfaction.

“Now Bamendousso will host two markets a week. It’s a good thing. On Toumaka market days, I used to be squeezed up. Now I see things are good here,” declared a trader.

“As a gardener, I will have to export crops now at Bamendousso twice a week, is that not a good thing Mr. Journalist? ” questioned an excited farmer.

It was just day one of the relocation procedure. What have municipal authorities in Babadjou taken as measures to make sure the market remains active on a weekly basis, or attract more traders on this market day?

The 1st Deputy to the Mayor of Babadjou in response said all traders will be exempted from communal taxes on each market day for a while, but she did not specify for how long.

“On this market day, we decided to let traders go ahead with their businesses tax-free for some time. It is a loss to their council but we must sacrifice. Security-wise, we have recruited security elements who will make sure people and their goods are secured on market days. And traders should know that in terms of infrastructure, the market will be transformed in the nearest future with the building of 20 new shops, an ultra-modern park, a solar-powered borehole, and a public toilet. These are things that will render this market a modern one.”

Nolabo Paul, told me.

Bamessingue maintains site, says relocation is a manipulation

No one expected this relocation to go down without raising dust. At least, someone who has been monitoring the situation would even expect more than what happened. The people from the Bamessingue village responded by maintaining the market on their section of the Toumaka market square. They saw the relocation process as manipulation by their Babadjou neighbors, with whom they have shared a lot in their contemporary lives and historical perspectives. They however decided to remain on their parcel of land at Toumaka, failing to respond to multiple responses to the Babadjou Mayor’s relocation call. At some point, one can understand that they didn’t want to move into another person’s land to trade when they have their own territory.

“This is our land and we are not obliged to go to Babadjou. So we decided to remain here and extend the space. In the days ahead, tractors will do extensive work. We are really satisfied with the turnout this day.” A municipal agent of Mbouda revealed.

” Although the space looks small, authorities promised that they will do something in the days ahead. It’s just the first day” a trader said.

A notable from the Bamessingue palace who was present revealed that the Bamessingue had no problem with the relocation of the Toumaka periodic market to Bamendousso.

“The Fon of Bamessingue sent us here to make sure our people carry on their activities here in peace. Here is the boundary between Babadjou and Bamessingue as you can see (pointing to the direction). There is nobody on the Babadjou part, meaning we have not crossed the line. We had problems with Council agents from Babadjou because they came into Bamessingue land and started carrying counters and destroying them but I thank the bravery of our boys who resisted. Now things are ok. We all are Bafung people. ” the Bamessingue Notable told me.

Historical Background

Babadjou and Bamessingue populations form the Bafung community. The Bafung people originate from the Tikar-based Bamileke community that was once chased away from the Upper Plateau of the Adamawa by Muslim warriors, Babadjou.net reveals.
From there, they migrated to Foumbot in the Noun, Bamekombo and Bagam in the Bamboutos, and then to Baligham and Bamendankwe in the North West, to Bagamgou and finally settled at the foot of Mount Bamboutos, the present-day Babadjou, and Bamessingue.

The Bafung community became divided in the 16th century after the death of Tchuitsemtih who left two sons Lacmago and Longla who were twins. The two decided to conserve their royalties, thereby creating the present-day Babadjou under Fon Lacmago and Bamessingue under Fon Longla. The two villages decided to maintain their cultural and linguistic identities even after the administrative repartition some decades ago that sent Bamessingue into the Mbouda subdivision and made Babadjou a subdivision on its own.

Multiple sources write that Toumaka remained a historic site because the twins before parting ways, had a convention at Dackoung, a shrine at the limits between the two at Toumaka. Toumaka also served as a camping ground for warriors of both villages during periods of war.

Being a subdivision and municipality on its own, Babadjou had in the past tried in vain to relocate the Toumaka market. The process faced tough resistance from the Bamessinguebrothers in the past till now.