Photos

Last week-end, a major event called "Nguon festival" took place like every two years, gathering the "Bamoun" people around the palace for two days of ceremonies.

This is a major cultural and political event since the Sultan still has a great influence in the political life of the Province.

During the "Nguon", on Saturday, the Mfon (sultan) has to listen to spokemen from the Bamoun people (praises like criticisms) who try to judge the past two years. He has to answer to fundamental questions raised at the moment by the spokemen. In a certain way, this is a piece of democracy in a frozen political system in which the new Mfon must be a son of the former one. He has to face for few hours the spokemen and answer their remarks in front of the people gathered around him.

The Second day, a long march is organized. This is a soldier getting ready to walk with the Sultan toward the battle field. This portrait was taken just in front of the Bamoun palace at Foumban, 300km north-west of Douala.

This walk is supposed to start very early (around 4:00AM) to get sure that women can't see that event. We checked this fact from different people who almost convinced us that it had to do with tradition and the Sultan had to tie the Ancestors schedule... But Cameroon being Cameroon, we got up at 6:00 AM, arrived at the entrance at the palace around 7:00 AM, early enough to walk around, have a breakfast, shooting many portraits. The walk didn't start before 9:00 AM :)