Enslavement and Everyday Life: Living with Slave Raiding in the North-Eastern Mandara Mountains of Cameroon

For over five centuries, the northern Mandara Mountains of Cameroon have been a focal point for slave raiding, with captives either enslaved locally or exported to broader regions. A study integrating ethnohistorical and archaeological data reveals that this practice was deeply embedded in daily life, shaping social structures and landscapes. Enslavement persisted as a relevant economic and political process until at least the mid-1980s, particularly among Wandala and Fulbe communities. The research highlights how these practices were intertwined with notions of sociality, proximity, and violence, leaving a lasting impact on the region's domesticated landscape.

MacEachern, S. (2011). Enslavement and Everyday Life: Living with Slave Raiding in the North-Eastern Mandara Mountains of Cameroon. Slavery in Africa. https://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197264782.003.0006