Sous la cendre d’un monument incendié à Foumban (Ouest Cameroun)

Abstract

On the night of 29 to 30th November 2020, a fire broke out that burned down the ancient entrance gate to the town of Foumban, suddenly awakening its residents. Despite the intervention of the local population, the gate was completely consumed, and shocking images of the fire quickly spread through social media, causing a universal emotional reaction. Built during one of the phases of the fortification of Foumban, the gateway (Nshut nsem) had become a powerful geo-symbol of the town of Foumban in particular and of the Bamun people more generally. In this article, I outline the story of the Foumban gateway, from its construction to the fire that destroyed it. Using participant observation and historical and iconographic sources, I describe its history and contemporary functions. These uses raise some questions that are discussed in the last part of this paper.