Jarosław Różański, Migrations of the Gidar – a People of North Cameroon, w: Helena E. Myeya, Maciej Ząbek (Eds.), Migrations in the contemporary world: A case of Africa. Cultural and social issues, Bernardinum: Pelplin 2020, 237-256.

Northern Cameroon is one of the age-old migration zones. Migration of the Gidar – one of the peoples of northern Cameroon also contributes to this migration movement. According to legendary accounts, the Gidars came to the areas inhabited mainly by them probably at the end of the 17th century from more northern areas (Gudur). Their lives were significantly influenced by the holy war waged by Fulbe and the dominance of this ethnic group in the region, which persisted also during European (German and French) colonization. Modern Gidar migrations began in the mid-twentieth century, with only local coverage. Their largest group benefited from the government’s resettlement project (West Bénoué) migrating from the mid-1970s around Ngong and Touroua, traditionally farming there. A significant group of them also moved to Garoua – the largest city in northern Cameroon. A smaller group lived in Yaoundé – the capital of Cameroon. Today, migrations of Gidar and other peoples of northern Cameroon are not only an economic or social problem but are also becoming a challenge to create a new cultural identity as well as a new type of society and state.

Open access: https://www.academia.edu/44578973/