Bamenda

Sister cities

• Dordrecht

History

The origins of the city are related to the settlement of the Tikar people who culturally forged and maintained relations with the Kingdom of Bamum in the 1700s. In 1884, the city was colonized by Germany until 1916 when it became a colony administered by Great Britain and France. In 1919, the administration of Northwest Region and thus the city of Bamenda became only British. In 1961, the region joined the Cameroon. Many of the city's inhabitants are English-speaking, and Cameroonian Pidgin English is the main language spoken in the shops and on the streets of Bamenda. The Southern Cameroons Liberation Council is a united front consisting of multiple groups of separatists aiming for an independent Ambazonian state, which would include Bamenda. Protests started in 2016 in the city in reaction to the appointment of French-speaking judges in the area. Starting in 2017 as a continuation of the protests, the ongoing Anglophone crisis has heavily impacted the city, both through the actions of separatists and responses from the government. In September 2020, Cameroon launched Operation Bamenda Clean to expel separatist militias from the city. The operation has resulted in civilian deaths.

Geography

North of the city is the Bamenda Ring Road, a circular route through Cameroon Highlands. Along this road is Mount Oku , the Kimbi River Game Reserve, the Menchum River waterfalls, a huge Fon's palace at Bafut, and a pyramidal thatched shrine at Akum (also known as Bagangu). Bamenda sits approximately 68 kilometres (42 mi) south of Ajuh-Mbuh.