Photos

Early december 2006, a major event called "Nguon festival" took place like it does 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", 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 major Sultan of the Bamoun people (Njoya 1876-1933) created a Bamoun alphabet. He's considered as the greatest Sultan of a long dynasty which started in 1394. The Bamoun people grew in importance all along the centuries and is now considered as one of the biggest ethnies in the Western Cameroon.

This character is a warrior who was part of the firearms ceremony which took place the first afternoon in front of the Bamoun Sultan.