Mokolo

Mokolo is the departmental capital and largest city of the Mayo-Tsanaga department, in the Far North Province of Cameroon. It is the fourth largest city in the Far North Province, after Maroua, Yagoua, and Kousseri. It is located in the Mandara Mountains that run along the

Cameroonian-Nigerian border.

Fulbe (also known as Fulani) and the Mafa people dominate the Mokolo area. In olden times, the Mafa’s were the original inhabitants of Mokolo. When the Fulbe’s came through the area, many of the Mafa’s dispersed into the surrounding Mandara Mountains. The Mafa’s are also known as the Matakam, a name given by the Fulbe’s, meaning “well-dressed.”

Mokolo was centrally located along a well-patronized trade route. The Guiziga and Fulbé people living near Maroua traded salt and natron with the Mafa’s living further west, who provided red earth and herbs, used for dyeing cloth.

Around 1947, the Muslim Lamido (traditional chief) Idrissou, came to power in Mokolo. Idrissou did not wish to manage the affairs of the animist Mafa populations. He appointed one of his subordinates, an Islamized Mafa named Mamoudou, to govern the animists. Mamoudou came to be accepted as the Lamido of the Mafa, and subordinate to Idrissou, who was recognized as Lamido to the Muslim Fulbé population. Eventually, the Mafa revolted against paying taxes to both the Lamibe (plural of Lamido). Seemingly under pressure of French colonialists living in the area, Idrissou was obliged to release Mamoudou from his subordinate position.

To this day, two Lamibé’s remain in Mokolo, separately but cooperatively serving both the Fulbe and Mafa populations. For a small fee, the Lamibe resolved problems and disputes, concerning marriages and divorce, inheritances, and some petty thefts. The Lamido thus served as a link between the populations and the government.

The greater Mokolo area has a population of over 300,000 people. The center of Mokolo is estimated to have populated about 30,000 people. The Mayo-Tsanaga department is one of the most densely populated departments of Cameroon.

Fulfulde, as the lingua franca of the Extreme North province, is the predominant language spoken throughout the Mokolo area though prevalent in the center of Mokolo. Fulfulde was brought to the region by the Fulbe people. Mafa is widely spoken among the Mafa populations throughout Mokolo. To the southwest of Mokolo, in the direction of the town Rumsiki, Kapsiki is the dominant language. French is used by the government and is the language of instruction in government-run schools.

The population of Mokolo is estimated to have as roughly 40% Christians, 40% Muslims, and 20% animist or traditional believers. A Catholic mission operates in Mokolo. The main mosque is located near the center of town right across the Muslim Lamido’s palace. The Christian minority is primarily Lutheran or Evangelical.

The climate of Mokolo is typical of the Sahel- tropical dry but they experience a short rainy season from mid-May to August. Harmattan winds blow South from the Sahara during December and January. A dry, hot season lasts from March to May. Temperatures recorded for Hot seasons about 43.3°C (110°F). As it is located in the Mandara Mountains at a slightly higher elevation than Maroua, the temperature of Mokolo is usually five to ten degrees cooler than that of Maroua.

Mokolo has one internet café and two state-recognized financial institutions, the Mutuel Communautaire de Croissance, and a branch of Crédit du Sahel. Mokolo is served by all major Cameroonian cellular telephone services. The weekly market is on Wednesday, where one can find large markets for clothing, dogs and small ruminant animals.

Primary, crops grown in and around Mokolo include millets, soy, and peanuts. The majority of soy found in Cameroon comes from the region surrounding Mokolo. The city is known as "the breadbasket of the Mandara Mountains". The Fulbé people are traditionally cattle herders, and cattle rearing remain a common and profitable activity. Cotton, which is of decreasing importance, is cultivated in limited amounts and purchased by SODECOTON.

Three public high schools are located in Mokolo, including a bilingual high school and a technical school. There is also a private Protestant high school. Mokolo is host to a teachers’ training college. The Catholic mission operates schools for both the deaf and the blind. Mokolo also boasts of a Youth Center and stadium. Both the Youth Center, and Catholic establishment, l’Aumonerie (Church that provides a Christian presence in a specific pastoral service together: Schools, Hospitals, Catholic Action, Prisons etc) and operated libraries.

Mokolo is located on a paved road, 79 km west of Maroua, the regional capital. Two bus services, Tsanaga Voyages and Mokolo Express, make regular trips between Maroua and Mokolo. A number of informal bush taxis also offer transport between the two cities. The average travel time is just over an hour.

The city is at the center of several tourist destinations, including Tourou and Rhumsiki.

Location on the Map