Mokolo
| Mokolo | |
|---|---|
 Mokolo
|
|
| Coordinates: 10°44′25″N 13°48′10″E / 10.74028°N 13.80278°E | |
| Country |
 Cameroon
|
| Province | Far North Province |
| Division | Mayo-Tsanaga Department |
| Elevation | 760 m (2,490 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 40,168 |
Mokolo is the departmental capital and largest city of the Mayo-Tsanaga department, in the Far North Province of Cameroon. It is the fourth largest city in the Far North Province, after Maroua, Yagoua, and Kousséri. It is located in the Mandara Mountains that run along the Cameroonian-Nigerian border.
Fulbé (also known as Fulani) and Mafa peoples dominate the Mokolo area. Historically, the Mafa were the original inhabitants. When the Fulbé came through the area, many of the Mafa dispersed into the surrounding Mandara Mountains. The Mafa are also known as the Matakam, a name given by the Fulbé, meaning “well-dressed.”
In 1916 Mokolo was subordinate to Madagali, a Nigerian town, and was ruled from there. Mokolo was centrally located along a well-traveled trade route. The Guiziga and Fulbé peoples living near Maroua traded salt and natron with the Mafa living further West, who provided red earth and herbs, used for dyeing cloth.
In roughly 1947 the Muslim Lamido (traditional chief) Idrissou came to power in Mokolo. Idrissou did not wish to manage the affaires of the animist Mafa populations. He appointed one of his subordinates, an Islamized Mafa named Mamoudou, to govern the animists. Mamoudou came to be accepted as the Lamido of the Mafa, and subordinate to Idrissou, who was recognized as Lamido to the Muslim Fulbé population. Eventually, the Mafa revolted against paying taxes to both the Lamibé (plural of Lamido). Seemingly under pressure of French colonialists living in the area, Idrissou was obliged to release Mamoudou from his subordinate position.
To this day two Lamibé remain in Mokolo, separately but cooperatively serving both the Fulbé and Mafa populations. For a small fee, the Lamibé resolve problems and disputes, namely concerning marriages and divorce, inheritances, and some petty theft. The Lamido thus serves as a link between the populations and the government.
The greater Mokolo area has a population of over 300,000 people. The center of Mokolo is estimated to have a population of 30,000. The Mayo-Tsanaga department is one of the most densely populated departments of Cameroon.
Fulfuldé, as the lingua franca of the Extreme North province, is the predominant language spoken throughout the Mokolo area, and is prevalent in the center of Mokolo. Fulfuldé was brought to the region by the Fulbé peoples. Mafa is widely spoken among the Mafa populations throughout Mokolo. To the southwest of Mokolo, in the direction of the town Rumsiki, Kapsiki is the dominant language. French is used by the government and is the language of instruction in government-run schools.
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Wikipedia