Changing Legislation and Neglect of Local Government’s Role in the Management of Farmer-Grazier Conflicts as Rational for the Degeneration of Crises in the Bamenda Grasslands of Cameroon

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue I, January 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Changing Legislation and Neglect of Local Government’s Role in the Management of Farmer-Grazier Conflicts as Rational for the Degeneration of Crises in the Bamenda Grasslands of Cameroon

Protus Mbeum Tem (PhD)
The University of Bamenda, Cameroon

Abstract: Farmer-grazier conflicts remain one of the greatest factors that have impeded peaceful coexistence between farmers and graziers in the Bamenda Grasslands of Cameroon. In spite of attempts made by the colonial and post-colonial governments in arresting the problem, the hitch has persisted over the years. Though the re-occurrence of these conflicts has been attributed to corruption perpetuated by those involved in the management of these crises, the paper argues that the termination of local government’s role in the management of these conflicts in 1978 instead intensified skirmishes. Drawing allusion from colonial legislation where local governments had the final authority, outbursts was uncommon. However, the granting of authority to central government officials after independence instead fanned these conflicts and greatly worked against its mitigation. The paper concludes that, for the effective eradication of these conflicts, local government’s involvement is necessary since they understand local realities in their communities than appointed civil servants or central authority agents.

Keywords: Local Government, Farmer-Grazier Conflicts, Bamenda Grasslands and Cameroon.

I. INTRODUCTION

The West African Region is noted for the recurrence of conflicts between farmers and graziers for decades (Olaniyan, Francis, and Okeke-Uzodike, 2015). This situation is not different for the Bamenda Grasslands of Cameroon which has recorded a number of clashes between farmers and graziers. This state of affairs or problems have been provoked by competition over land which is a scarce economic resource as farmers and graziers struggle to get hold of space for the cultivation of crops and grazing of cattle respectively (Kaunganya, 1992; De Haan, 2002; Baye 2002). The increase in Population and livestock in the area over the years has made matters worse as the demand for water and pasture for cropping and grazing has also increased leading to frequent outbursts between farmers and graziers (Manu, Bime, Fon and Ajaga, 2014; Baye, 2002; Ingwa, Ega and Erhabor, 1999). This struggle has led to constant encroachments on farming and grazing lands by graziers and farmers respectively and the outcome has been the destruction of crops (Haan, 2002; Baye, 2002).

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