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The young people of the Cameroon Grassfields have been subject to a long history of violence and political marginalization. For centuries the main victims of the slave trade, they became prime targets for forced labor campaigns under a series of colonial rulers. Today’s youth remain at the bottom of the fiercely hierarchical and polarized societies of the Grassfields, and it is their response to centuries of exploitation that Nicolas Argenti takes up in this absorbing and original book. Beginning his study with a political analysis of youth in the Grassfields from the eighteenth century to the present, Argenti pays special attention to the repeated violent revolts staged by young victims of political oppression. He then combines this history with extensive ethnographic fieldwork in the Oku chiefdom, discovering that the specter of past violence lives on in the masked dance performances that have earned intense devotion from today’s youth. Argenti contends that by evoking the imagery of past cataclysmic events, these masquerades allow young Oku men and women to address the inequities they face in their relations with elders and state authorities today.

Sorghum and pearl millet are grain crops that can grow in semi-arid climates, with nutritional and bioactive properties superior to those of major cereals such as rice, wheat, and maize. However, these properties vary a lot, depending on the genetic factors, growing conditions, and place of cultivation. Four sorghum and two pearl millet grains cultivars grown in the Far-North region of Cameroon were screened for their chemical composition and antioxidant profile. The proximate and mineral analyses were performed using AOAC standard methods. The antioxidant profile was assayed spectrophotometrically and details on the phenolic compounds were investigated using HPLC. The pearl millet cultivars, especially mouri, showed higher contents of proteins, lipids, ash, calcium, copper, iron, and zinc. The red sorghum specifically exhibited the greatest amounts of total polyphenols (82.22 mg GAE/g DE), total flavonoids (23.82 mg CE/g DE), and total 3-deoxyanthocyanidin (9.06 mg/g DE). The most abundant phenolic compound was gallic acid, while the most frequent were chlorogenic and ferulic acids. The maximum antioxidant activity against DPPH was observed in yellow-pale sorghum (87.71%), followed by red sorghum (81.15%). Among the studied varieties of cereals, mouri pearl millet and red sorghum were the best sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds, respectively. Their consumption should be encouraged to tackle nutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases within local populations.

Adaptation to climate change has remained a major socio-ecological issue in the Northern Region of Cameroon since 1973. Presently, this region is subject to the severe chaos of drought, floods, and ecosystem degradation, causing harm and disrupting climatic patterns. Climate change results in the drying of surface water and crops, threatening food security and the well-being of households. It has a serious impact on the entire agricultural production system at global scale. Here, it is suggested that successive adjustments to deeper systemic and transformational adaptations through efforts from NGOs, the Government, and donors, as well as innovations, are necessary to offset the negative impact of climate change on the agricultural value chain. Therefore, this research aimed to identify adaptation strategies and practices for rural communities and households, who suffer from limited access to these agricultural innovations, for a transformative adaptation. Through surveys and focus group discussions carried out in several villages in the Northern Cameroon Region, this study provides empirical data on emerging agricultural innovations in contrasting socio-economic, agricultural, and ecological contexts. Our findings demonstrate that agricultural innovations fostered at the village level have several characteristics that contribute to adaptation and mitigation of the impact of climate change. To begin with, conservation agriculture is very interesting, because crop residues left on the soil protect it from rainfall and dry winds, and gradually add humus to the top soil. In addition, agroforestry plays an important role for the household regarding ecosystem services, including food supply, soil fertility, protection from erosion, regulation of water regime, and sociocultural value. Generally, heads of households (83%) were more involved in innovative initiatives than other social strata, resulting in unequal access and proximity to agricultural innovations. Furthermore, the results highlight a significant lack of coordination and poor visibility of permanent structures supporting agricultural innovations at local level, weakening the sustainable transformation of adaptation. From a scientific perspective, this study could help build a conceptual relationship between agricultural innovation and sustainability transformation, i.e., a climate-smart agriculture. In practice, it provides levers that can be used to multiply and expedite agricultural innovation processes, water conservation, and livestock sustainability, thus contributing to the sustainability of the whole agricultural system in Cameroon and within the Sahel region of Africa.

This practical guide sets out to help agents from development organizations working in the Sahelian-Sudanic zone in their role as advisors to farming communities on setting up, funding and managing watering places.

Background Effective malaria control relies on evidence-based interventions. Anopheline behaviour and Plasmodium infections were investigated in North Cameroon, following long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) distribution in 2010. Methods During four consecutive years from 2011 to 2014, adult mosquitoes were collected indoors, outdoors and in exit traps across 38 locations in the Garoua, Pitoa and Mayo-Oulo health districts. Anophelines were morphologically and molecularly identified, then analysed for blood meal origins and Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein ( Pf -CSP). Blood from children under 5 years-old using LLINs was examined for Plasmodium infections. Results Overall, 9376 anophelines belonging to 14 species/sibling species were recorded. Anopheles gambiae ( s.l. ) [ An. arabiensis (73.3%), An. coluzzii (17.6%) and An. gambiae ( s.s. ) (9.1%)] was predominant (72%), followed by An. funestus ( s.l. ) (20.5%) and An. rufipes (6.5%). The recorded blood meals were mainly from humans (28%), cattle (15.6%) and sheep (11.6%) or mixed (45%). Pf -CSP rates were higher indoors (3.2–5.4%) versus outdoors (0.8–2.0%), and increased yearly ( χ 2  < 18, df  = 10, P  < 0.03). Malaria prevalence in children under 5 years-old, in households using LLINs was 30% (924/3088). Conclusions The present study revealed the variability of malaria vector resting and feeding behaviour, and the persistence of Plasmodium infections regardless the use of LLINs. Supplementary interventions to LLINs are therefore needed to sustain malaria prevention in North Cameroon.

chironomid larvae are present in aquatic systems, including freshwater, and often are important hosts for Vibrio cholerae. Chironomid larvae interact with V. cholera and may shield the bacterium from environmental stressors, resulting in its dissemination. This study aimed to determine the role of chironomid larvae in the persistence of V. cholera in the water reservoirs of a cholera-endemic area of Cameroon. chironomid larvae and water samples were collected from scoop holes of the Kaliao and Mizao temporary streams in Maroua during the cholera inter-epidemic (dry) season. V. cholera was isolated from chironomid larvae and water samples on thiosulfate citrate bile salt sucrose agar and biochemically identified. Water temperature, salinity, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, oxygen saturation, dissolved oxygen, and hardness (including calcium and magnesium) were analyzed for their influence on V. cholerae-larvae interactions. Vibrio cholera was isolated in 45.45% of cases (95% CI: 32.5-58.9) from chironomid larvae. In contrast, 27.72% of water samples without larvae tested positive for V. cholera (95% CI: 18.4-38.6), only 4.54% of samples simultaneously harbored V. cholera in both larvae and water (95% CI: 1.2-11.3). The probability of detecting V. cholera was significantly higher in chironomid larvae than in water (p < 0.05), suggesting a strong ecological association. Furthermore, water samples with higher dissolved oxygen saturation (up to 91%) and elevated magnesium concentrations (up to 133.65 mg/L) were consistently V. cholerae-negative, suggesting a potential inverse relationship between these parameters and bacterial presence. the study highlights chironomid larvae as potential reservoirs for V. cholerae, emphasizing the need to monitor both larval habitats and water quality for better cholera surveillance and control in endemic regions.

In this study, we investigated the distribution and the principal sources of macronutrients (N, P, K, S) in groundwater in agro-pastorally dominated North Cameroon. Graphical methods and multivariate statistics were used to understand the impact of land use and regional geology on nutrient concentrations (K+, NO3−, SO42−, PO43−). Groundwater was acidic (median pH 6.8) and more mineralized (EC range = 35–2500 µS/cm, median = 376 µS/cm) than surface water (EC range = 50–222 µS/cm, median = 81 µS/cm). The median concentration of nutrients was (in mg/L) in the order NO3− (41.3) > SO42− (7.7) > K+ (5.2) > PO43− (0.1) in groundwater and rather K+ (3.3) > NO3− (0.3) > SO42− (0.2) > PO43− (0.2) in surface water. Using hierarchical cluster analysis and Schoeller diagram, we identified three distinct water quality groups. Group I, which contained cluster 1 and 2 were generally less mineralized and characterised as Na + K − HCO3 water type found in the urban area such as Garoua and Lagdo. Group II, containing cluster 3 was much higher mineralized and characterised as the Na + K − HCO3 water type with elevated nitrate. The occurrence of these groups is linked to the outcrops of cretaceous terrestrial sediments of the Garoua basin. Group III, which contained cluster 4 were heavily mineralized and characterised as the Ca + Mg − NO3 water type. The occurrence was controlled by the outcrop of the crystalline Proterozoic basement. The nitrate median (41 mg/L) found in groundwater demonstrates the influence exerted by anthropogenic activities. Management strategies are required for the whole study area to limit further deterioration of groundwater resources in the wake of the planned expansion of agricultural productivity in the North Region of Cameroon.

The main aim of the study is to perform a high-precision mapping of geological features (lineaments and faults) using advanced gravity processing methods. The main techniques used for gravity data processing are the tilt angle of horizontal gradient (TAHG), the improved logistic filter (ILF), the fast sigmoid edge detector filter (FSF), and an edge detection filter based on the arcsine function (ASF). Before applying these edge detection filters to major geological units of North Cameroon, their effectiveness and performance have been assessed on synthetic gravity data and on random noise incorporated synthetic data. In addition, the Euler deconvolution has been used to estimate the position and depth of anomalous gravity sources in the study region. Using these edge detection techniques, a precise mapping of structural lineaments in the region has been established. It appears that the main structural features are trending along the N-S, NNE-SSW and NE-SW directions. The deepest density anomalies in the region are identified in the NW–SE direction, which coincides well with the extension of the Central and West African rift system in the study area. The advanced edge detection techniques and the Euler deconvolution method have both identified a network of superficial lineaments around longitude 13 o N and latitude 8 o N, and located between 0 and 4 km depth. The NW–SE trending crustal features outlined in the northeast of the region indicate that the area would have been the target of a uniform tectonic activity. This study is crucial to improve the knowledge of the configuration of fractures network, and to a better exploitation of groundwater resources available in the region.

Background The control of animal trypanosomosis consists, amongst other things, of the punctual treatment of new cases, primarily diagnosed by pastoralists on the basis of clinical signs. This practice suggests that many apparently healthy infected animals are left untreated. In this study animal trypanosomosis in clinically healthy zebu cattle was evaluated, the distribution of the vectors established and the epidemiological implications discussed. Methods In 2014 two cross-sectional surveys were carried out in the Cambeef ranch. A total of 866 blood samples were collected from cattle in different sites: 549 in the dry season and 317 in the rainy season. The blood samples were subjected to parasitological examination using the buffy coat method and to PCV determination. An entomological survey on animal trypanosomosis vectors was undertaken during tsetse flies caught were identified and the mid-gut of each living non-teneral tsetse fly was examined for infections using a microscope. Results An overall trypanosomosis prevalence of 9 % was found in the cattle examined. There were significantly ( P  < 0.05) more trypanosome infected cattle in the dry season than the rainy season. Trypanosome-infected cattle had significantly ( P  < 0.05) lower Body Condition Scores (BCS) and Packed Cell Volumes (PCV) in the dry season than in the rainy season. Anemia was positively correlated with trypanosome infection. The likelihood for an animal to be parasitologically free of trypanosome infection was at least three times as high in the Gudali breed as compared with the white and red Fulani breeds. Species of trypanosomes identified were Trypanosoma vivax (73.23 %), Trypanosoma congolense (15.49 %) and Trypanosoma brucei (11.27 %). A total of 390 tsetse flies and 103 tabanids were trapped. Two species of tsetse flies were identified: Glossina tachinoides (33.59 %) and G. morsitans submorsitans (41 %). Nine of the 194 non-teneral flies were infected with trypanosomes. Conclusion Carriers of trypanosomes are present amongst apparently healthy cattle in the study site. Attempts to successfully reduce the population of reservoir trypanosomes within herds and control the disease will need to consider mass screening once every year and this should be associated with drug sensitivity tests.

We present the mineralogy and age of the magmatic epidote-bearing granite composing most of the Mokong pluton, in the Central Africa orogenic belt (North Cameroon). This pluton intrudes Neoproterozoic (~830 to 700 Ma) low- to high-grade schists and gneisses (Poli-Maroua group), and is crosscut or interleaved with bodies of biotite granite of various sizes. The pluton is weakly deformed in its interior, but solid-state deformation increases toward its margins marked by narrow mylonitic bands trending NNE–SSW. The magmatic epidote granitic rocks are classified as quartz monzodiorite, granodiorite, monzogranite, and syenogranite. They are medium- to coarse-grained and composed of K-feldspar + plagioclase + biotite + amphibole + epidote + magnetite + titanite + zircon + apatite. In these granites, the pistacite component [atomic Fe +3 /(Fe 3+  + Al)] in epidote ranges from 16 to 29 %. High oxygen fugacity (log ƒO 2  − 14 to −11) and the preservation of epidote suggest that the magma was oxidized. Al-in hornblende barometry and hornblende–plagioclase thermometry indicate hornblende crystallization between 0.53 and 0.78 GPa at a temperature ranging from 633 to 779 °C. Zircon saturation thermometry gives temperature estimates ranging from 504 to 916 °C, the latter being obtained on samples containing inherited zircons. U/Pb geochronology by LA-ICP-MS on zircon grains characterized by magmatic zoning yields a concordia age of 668 ± 11 Ma (2 σ ). The Mokong granite is the only known occurrence magmatic epidote in Cameroon, and is an important milestone for the comparison of the Central Africa orogenic belt with the Brasiliano Fold Belt, where such granites are much more abundant.