Causes of Cattle Theft in the North West Region of Cameroon Manu I.N1, Andu W.N1,3, Tarla D.N.2 and Agharih W.N3

Scholarly Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 4(4), pp. 181-187 April, 2014 Available online at http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/SJAS ISSN 2276-7118 © 2014 Scholarly-Journals Full Length Research Paper Causes of cattle theft in the North West Region of Cameroon Manu I.N1, Andu W.N1,3, Tarla d.N.2 and Agharih W.N3 1Department of Rural Sociology and Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences (FASA), University of Dschang, Cameroon; 2Department of Plant Protection, FASA, University of Dschang, Cameroon; 3SODEPA Bamenda. Accepted 31 March, 2014 Pastoralists have developed over the years coping strategies with the support of various technical services, but a new system of predatory exploitation of socio-economic resources in the form of cattle theft has emerged. This study was conducted to elucidate the causes of cattle theft in the North West Region of Cameroon. A sample of 297 pastoralists proportionately distributed based on the number of pastoralists in each Division (147 Fulani, 147 Non Fulani and 06 others) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using SPSS software. Descriptive as well as inferential statistical methods were used to sort and analyse the data. An increase in the number of herd-less Fulani pastoralists was identified as the main cause of cattle theft while the principal actors of cattle theft was a mixture of both the Fulani and Non Fulani. Government should train and employ herd- less Fulanis to reduce cattle theft. Key words: Cattle, Fulani, North West Region, pastoralists, rustling. INTRODUCTION Cameroon is a big agricultural country and occupies to 2010). All aspects of pastoral social andeconomic life are this effect a good position in the Central African Sub linked to livestock and the environment in which they live. Region. The contribution of livestock to the growth In pastoralist societies, cattle hold a central value and are domestic product (GDP) in Central African countries was the basis of association in a complex of social, political estimated at 27 % in Chad, 9 % in Central African and religious institutions. The system depends largely on Republic and 13 % in Cameroon (IIED, 2010. The the availability of water and the distribution, quality and contribution to GDP is 9% from livestock and 5% from access to pasture. All over the world, pastoral systems fisheries for Cameroon (SSSEPIA, 2011). Intra-Regional support the livelihoods of millions of people living in harsh trade in livestock and livestock products is a feature of environments where alternative land use systems are this Sub Region with these three countries having the highly risky or simply not possible. The government of opportunity to export to the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cameroon adopted a rural sector development strategy Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe. in 2005 which was modified and included in the Growth The major agricultural, livestock and forestry sub and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) in 2010. In this sectors of the rural sector play an irreplaceable socio- strategy it was noted that its agriculture/livestock was in economic role each in its sphere of production and bring bad shape, structurally unable to feed the Cameroonian a major contribution to the national economy. Livestock population and many obstacles to production were constitute for 30% of the active rural population, their identified. The strategy adopted was aimed at ensuring main source of livelihood (GESP, 2010; Revised SDSR, food security and self-sufficiency for households and the nation, contribute to economic growth and particularly to the growth of foreign trade and employment, increase the income of rural producers, improve the living conditions of *Corresponding author. E-mail:[email protected] the rural population while ensuring a sustainable use of the Scholarly J. Agric. Sci. 182 natural capital as the production base (GESP,2010).One Region. Administratively the North West Region is of the major policies of the development of the livestock divided into seven Divisions namely: Boyo, Bui, Donga sub sector is centred on the increase of the efficiency of Mantung, Menchum, Mezam, Momo and Ngoketunjia the traditional livestock production and the emerging respectively with the following administrative capitals: modern livestock production. In order to satisfy the Fundong, Kumbo, Nkambe, Wum, Bamenda, Mbengwi nutritional needs of the population and export surpluses, and Ndop. Bamenda is the headquarters of the North the strategy consists of promoting the development of the West Region. production of short cycle species as well as facilitating The topography of the Region varies greatly from and promoting the creation of medium and large scale depressions lower than 400m to high mountains 3000 m ranches for cattle production. high. This topography can be classified into three main Pastoralism is plagued by several problems and in the zones: the lower altitude (<900m); the mid altitude (900- North West Region some of the constraints to livestock 1500m) and the high altitude (˃1500m). The climate is production are farmer-grazier conflicts (Manu et al., greatly influenced by the topography; it is described as a 2014), diseases as well as water and pasture scarcity tropical transitional climate from the rainy humid and (Nji, 1995). Of these constraints to cattle production, it continuously warm climate in the South to the extremely has been observed that diseases are on a downward changeable (in terms of rainfall and temperature) but trend as exemplified by the eradication of Rinderpest in relatively dry and hot climate of the North. The high Cameroon in 2010 coupled with the fact that there is a mountainous areas are cold (<15 C̊ ) such as Ndu and better understanding and settlement of farmer –grazier Nkambe whereas the low altitude zones are hot (average disputes and reduction of movement of animals on 27 ̊C) such as Ndop plain and Ako Sub Division. There transhumance in search of water and pasture. In these are two distinct seasons: The rainy season (mid-March to pastoralist communities farmers and herders live close to mid-October) and the dry season (mid-October to mid- each other and there is mutual understanding in sharing March).The effect of climate change is responsible for the production resources. variations noticed within the recent past. Annual rainfall Cattle theft or rustling is manifesting itself in various varies from 1300 mm in the Ndop plain to over 3000 mm forms and it is becoming endemic in the North West at Awing and Oku. Region. Traditionally, cattle rustling among the pastoral The vegetation is as a result of the prevailing climate, communities in other parts of the world were considered altitude, soil conditions and human activities on the as a cultural practice which was sanctioned and environment. In the lower transitional zone and low controlled by the elders. Yet, over a period of time there altitude areas savanna is covered with wood, shrubs and have emerged new trends, tendencies and dynamics, lower mountain forests mostly along the rivers. In the leading to commercialization and internationalization of highland zone, we have grassland vegetation that is the practice contrary to the views of early scholars who derived from mountainous forests. The Region falls within trivialize cattle rustling as a mere cultural practice. the typical savannah zone covered predominantly with To a large extent, it is the general view that the cattle grass but around plains such the Mbembe, Fura Awa and rustling has undergone fundamental transformation from Widikum areas, the vegetation is predominantly forest. a cultural practice of testing a person’s personal bravery With this climate, topography and vegetation, the North and prowess to bloody warfare between various groups West Region is an excellent zone for animal husbandry. or communities. All these pose serious challenges to There exist the extensive, semi-intensive and intensive societal structures, survival, as well as moral foundations types of animal husbandry which involve large ruminants (Salih, 1992). In the North West Region, the (cattle), small ruminants (goats and sheep), pigs, poultry administration has been trying to expose the cattle-theft- and non-conventional livestock. A lot of the extensive mafia but little or no information is available on causes of cattle production is practiced in Donga Mantung, cattle theft in the North West Region of Cameroon. This Menchum, Bui, Boyo, Momo and Mezam Division. The study therefore identifies the principal causes of cattle Ndop plain in Ngoketunjia Division serves as an theft. important transhumance zone for the cattle population from neighbouring Divisions and the West Region. METHODOLOGY Survey Presentation of the North West Region The descriptive survey research design was used for this The North West Region lies between latitudes 5˚ 45’ and study which entailed a sample of the pastoralists of the 9˚ 9’N longitudes 9 ˚13’ and 11˚ 13’E. It covers an area of North West Region of Cameroon was studied. This study about 17400 km² and it is bordered in the North and West used a combination of three (03) sampling techniques; by the Republic of Nigeria, in the South by the West and stratified, multistage cluster and random sampling South West Regions and in the East by the Adamawa techniques. The population of the study was the Manu et al. 183 Table 1: Target Pastoralists and envisaged proportionate sample size Division Target population Sample size Total Percentage (%) Fulani Non-Fulani Fulani Non-Fulani Total % pastoralist Pastoralist pastoralist Pastoralist Boyo 515 34 22 03 25 8.3 Bui 688 613 30 58 88 29.3 Donga Mantung 1011 277 44 26 70 23.3 Menchum 400 48 17 05 22 7.3 Mezam 445 310 19 30 49 16.3 Momo 198 176 9 17 26 8.7 Ngoketunjia 209 117 9 11 20 6.7 Total 3466 1575 150 150 300 100 Source: Field data pastoralists of the North West Region.

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