Limbe: With placards and peace plants in hand, dressed in black, and chanting protest songs, the Bimbia people took to the streets on January 13 to denounce the alleged ceding of the Bimbia Slave Trade Center. The protesters displayed phrases such as ‘No to administrative suppression of the Fako people’, and ‘Bimbia Fako, says no to oppression’ while chanting in local Pidgin-English, ‘slave trade center, no be for sell’.
According to Cameroon News Agency, the protesters had come across information on social media alleging plans to cede the historic site to a third party. This prompted their protest march to the palace of the paramount chief of Limbe and later to the office of the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Fako.
The protesters expressed their concerns after discovering letters on social media indicating that the Bimbia slave trade site was in the process of being ceded to a third party pending formal signatures. Henry Njalla Quan Junior, a Bimbia indigene, explained the agreement in place to retroce
de the Bimbia slave trade site to a third party.
The Senior Divisional Officer expressed disappointment in the manner of communication and urged the protesters to return later and formally submit their grievances.
A letter dated January 10, 2025, reportedly written by Nseke Luma Eso, mayor of Limbe III council, to the prime minister’s office, expressed surprise at rumors of the site being ceded to Gilgal Tower Company LLC for 50 years. It noted an impending visit by the minister of arts and culture to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and lay a foundation stone at the site.
Located in the dense mangrove forests of Limbe III Municipality in Fako division, the Bimbia slave trade village is a historical reminder of the transatlantic slave trade. Designated a national cultural heritage in 2017, Bimbia was added to UNESCO’s tentative list of world heritage sites on March 12, 2020.
The site is located in Dikolo, one of the three villages in Bimbia. HRH Epupa Ekum Samuel, chief of Dikolo-Bimbia, expressed
disappointment over the alleged ceding agreement without his knowledge or that of his people. He emphasized the site’s foundation by the chiefs of Bimbia during the slave trade era.
Henry Njalla Quan Junior noted previous attempts by the indigenes to develop the site were blocked by the council, citing strict instructions regarding the UNESCO certification process.
On January 14, businessman Eric Igwacho of Gilgal Towers held a press conference to address the issue. He clarified that the company is entering a 10-year partnership with the government to develop the site and enhance its tourism appeal, not purchasing it. Igwacho mentioned plans to invite investors, build a monument, resorts, and employ locals.
Heritage anthropologist, Dr. Evelyne Tegomoh, stressed the importance of a culturally appropriate development process. She advised that stakeholders should involve the community in discussions to find a mutually beneficial solution.
Reports suggest the minister’s initially planned visit for Tuesday, Ja
nuary 14, was intercepted by the protests. Njalla Quan emphasized the need for an open, fair, and transparent process involving the indigenes.
Dr. Tegomoh recommends a bottom-top approach as a way forward in this conflict, urging stakeholders to return to the negotiation table to discuss with the community before central decision-makers.