FOUMBAN: Chatter muffled as members of a secret society, masked and garbed in honey-coloured robes, entered the court of Foumban, the historic capital of a centuries-old kingdom nestled in hilly northwestern Cameroon.

The 20th king of the Bamoun people, Mouhammad Nabil Mfourifoum Mbombo Njoya, stood up from his ornate throne — a replica of the original, now at a German museum — for the ancient ritual to get under way.

The nearly 600-year-old tradition sees him put on public trial over his governance — with local chiefs reading out indictments destined to put his popularity to the test.

The tradition is part of a set of rituals taking place over a week in a bid to promote dialogue, harmony and peace.

The ceremony is a first for Mbombo Njoya, 31, who took over the throne after his father died in 2021. If deemed to have failed, the monarch could be fined or removed from office. But if he succeeds, he is granted a new mandate and allegiance.

Tourists and officials last week flocked to the remote, grassy region of the West African country to attend Nguon, a set of royal rituals that date back to 1384, when the kingdom was founded.

The rites, which are followed by celebrations, had not taken place in six years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors, but were recognised in Dec 2023 by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage.

The Bamoun territory, which is home to the ethnic group of the same name, is one of the oldest traditional kingdoms in sub-Saharan Africa.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2024