Since the beginning of the 19th century the Fulbe dynasty of the Yillaga line has ruled the lamidat of Rey Bouba in the northeast of Cameroon. Neither the colonial era nor the presidential republic, which was founded in 1960 when Cameroon became independent, were able to diminish the tremendous political influence and power of the lamidos in this vast Muslim empire (approx. 37'000 km2). Due to its remote geographic location as well as to the cultural and social isolation enforced by the former rulers, the established social and political structures of Rey Bouba were to a large extent passed on to the present.

However, the current lamido Bouba Abdoulayé Aboubakary (reigning since 2006) conveys different policies than his predecessors. He is receptive towards the West and its material achievements, and he allegedly intends to „modernize“ the lamidat. It seems in fact that the majority of the young population is much more inclined toward a westernized future than the (constructed) past. Nevertheless, the ruler’s autocracy continues to dominate people’s everyday life thus creating the phenomenon of a state within the state of Cameroon with its particular administrative configuration.

One aspect of this dissertation project is concerned with the structures of rulership. The Lamido commands an extended network of servants who administer the lamidat parallel to the civil servants. I will examine how the lamido legitimizes his power, what kind of instruments and mechanisms he applies in his rule, and how this power becomes manifest in the activities of his subjects. Another aspect of the research analyzes the multi-ethnic society of this empire and its strictly hierarchical framework consisting of former slaves, serfs, freemen and court members. With the fairly recent introduction of nursery-, primary- and high schools, mobile communications and the internet as well as international humanitarian operations, the population is suddenly having to confront completely new media, values and modes of action.

The central issue of this work addresses the implication and expectation of the various individuals as well as their somewhat openly formulated intentions or interests and their feasibility within the changing social reality. How does the political system react towards the social transformation? That is, to what extent is the apparatus of neopatrimonial power willing to grant more say and leeway to the population?