King Mbartoua

MUNICIPALITY OF BERTOUA

King Mbartoua

BERTOUA

The Gbaya

The Gbaya are a group of Bantu found in several African countries. Thanks to the multiple migratory movements, forced or not, that they have made over time. They arrived in Cameroon in the 18th century. They settled down by adapting to the environment while preserving their culture in spite of the influences it may have undergone. In Cameroon, the Gbaya can be found in the East (Bertoua, Ketté, Garoua-Boulaï, bétaré-Oya) and in Adamaoua (Meingana, Djohog). In the East, more precisely in the localities of Bétaré-Oya and Ketté, the main activity is gold mining, while in Adamoua their main activity is agriculture.

King Mbartoua (nickname given in his adolescence because of his size and muscle mass), from his birth name ''GOH GOH NOU'' (the panther of the earth) was born in the 1830s, having undergone immigration from Sudan and then the Central African Republic and settled in ''Bertoua'' located in the eastern part of Cameroon. According to oral sources, Mbartoua was endowed with a Herculean strength that impressed by his size and build, and also endowed with supernatural powers that allowed him to disappear. With an army composed of the formidable warriors ''SIRTA'' and a large cavalry, he succeeded very quickly in conquering Bertoua and settling there, thus pushing back the first populations of the said locality. Fiercely opposed to the German penetration in the East Cameroon Region and after the death of Captain Hans, whose assassination was attributed to him, the hunted King Mbartoua took refuge in a cave located in the village of Ngounte (a village situated 19 or 20 km from the town of Bertoua). After several unsuccessful attempts by the German army to apprehend him, the colonists captured his first son NDIBA and threatened to execute him if his father did not appear. In view of this circumstance, the King finally came out of his cave and surrendered and was shot at the place of his captivity in 1903, thus ending the life of the great King. Over time, this cave has become a place of pilgrimage for his descendants in particular and for the Gbaya people in general. The town of Bertoua owes its name to this mythical great King, and the settlers preferred the name Bertoua to that of Mbartoua.

TRADITIONAL CLOTHES

Gbaya people

The traditional clothing of the Gbaya people was made of animal skins. The weapons of combat consisted of poisoned spears, crossbows, the warriors exceeded themselves thanks to the horses.