Pastoralists resist land grabbing in Cameroon

Location: North West Region, Cameroon

Timeline: 2010 - 2014

Principal organisations: MBOSCUDA

The case describes how a Mbororo pastoralist community in Cameroon defended their land rights against attempts by the Archbishop of the Bamenda Archdiocese, Cornelius Fontem Esua and the Catholic University of Cameroon to dispossess them of land they occupied since 1904. The case illustrates the vulnerability of a disorganised and marginalised community. The community became susceptible to potential land right violations by powerful and articulate institutions. Because these knew how to manoeuvre around the law and land governance institutions, pastoralist communities risked to lose their land rights. The community with the support of civil society organisations mobilised resources to successfully and peacefully resist the attempts to grab the land that was part of their identity and their basis for livelihood.