Bamenda
The largest city of anglophone Cameroon, in the heart of the Grassfields
North-West Region (capital: Bamenda) · Mezam department (capital: Bamenda)
Where is Bamenda?
Bamenda is in the North-West Region of Cameroon, about 300 km from Douala by road.
Bamenda is the capital of the North-West region and of the Mezam department, about 370 kilometres north-west of Yaoundé. It is the most populous city of anglophone Cameroon, with several hundred thousand inhabitants by most estimates. It is also nicknamed Abakwa. English and Pidgin are the languages of the street and of trade.
History and origin of the name
The city's origins are linked to the settlement of peoples from the Tikar area. Under the German protectorate a military station was set up at Bamenda; the town is still split by a cliff between the administrative "Station" on the plateau, around the old German fort, and the lower town, between the Mankon and Bafreng chiefdoms. After the First World War it came under British administration, until Southern Cameroons joined the Republic of Cameroon in 1961.
What to see
- The palace of the Fon of Mankon and its museum, which displays Grassfields art and crafts.
- The palace of the Fon of Bali Nyonga, known for its old architecture, and that of Bafut, north of the city.
- The Ring Road, a loop of about 370 kilometres through the highlands, which passes near Mount Oku: at 3,011 metres it is a volcano surrounded by the Kilum-Ijim forests, the largest remaining patch of montane forest in West Africa.
- Ndop and toghu cloth, typical of the Grassfields and now found all over the country.
Economy and local life
The city is a trading centre for farm produce (coffee, potatoes, yams, groundnuts) and a hub for trade with Nigeria. The University of Bamenda, a public English-speaking university, has its main campus at Bambili. The Social Democratic Front, an opposition party, was launched here in 1990. Since 2016 Bamenda has been at the centre of the Anglophone crisis: protests by lawyers and teachers led, from 2017, to a conflict between separatist groups and government forces that has hit the city and its people hard.
What to eat
Bamenda is the capital of Mezam, where taro with yellow sauce, known as achu in the anglophone regions, is a traditional dish. Eru, which comes from the South-West, is also a North-West speciality.
Practical information
The city is known for its cool climate and hilly setting; the climate is tropical, with a long rainy season and a much drier dry season. Bamenda is linked by road to Bafoussam and Mamfe, and has an airport in the Bafut subdivision. The security situation linked to the Anglophone crisis should be checked before any trip.
Distances by road
Approximate distances, city centre to city centre. Travel time depends heavily on road conditions and traffic.