An African king has returned to the throne that was taken from his homeland by European colonizers more than 100 years ago.
His Majesty Nabil Mouhamed Nfonrifoum Mbombo Njoya, the sultan king of the Bamum, a pre-colonial African state that now makes up part of northwest Cameroon, made an emotional return to the seat during a visit to Humboldt Forum Museum in Berlin.
The sultan visited the museum on Monday as part of a tour of Europe. Upon arrival, he made an immediate beeline for the throne once occupied by his great-grandfather.
A video posted to TikTok by NZUI Manto captured the powerful moment the Sultan arrived and took his place on the throne, much to the delight of those in attendance. Cheers, chants and howls of delight are audible on the clip, which has been watched over 1.2 million times and can be viewed here.
@nzuimanto1 Sa majesté, le roi, fon rifum Nabil en tourné Européens pour la prise de contact avec le peuple bamoun et Camerounais d'Europe comme la culture l'oblige, est donc arrivé en Allemagne. Il est allé visiter le musée ethnologique de Berlin, le directeur du Musée lui fait visiter les objets de l'Afrique Centrale, arts Camerounais, des figures des perles Bamilékés jusqu'à lui présenter le siège(trône) royale nommé du roi Njoya appelé, 'Mandù Yenù'. Le siège royale selon eux à été donné en cadeau lors d’échanges diplomatiques en 1908 sauf que non L'empereur Allemand Guillaume l'avait pris de force. C'était un braquage. A l'arrivée du roi Nabil prêt du Mandù Yenù il yvait son siège à côté comme sur la vidéo ( donc il était sensé s'asseoir sur le siège qui a été désigné mais il n'a même pas géré son siège. Il est allé directement s'asseoir sur le trône de son arrière grand père volé il ya 115 ans plus précisément. Le directeur était stupéfait. Il était étonné et surpris mais le roi s'était déjà confortable assis sur le trône. Nous attendons les mesures qui vont être prises pour le retour des objets volés à l'époque de la colonisation physique comme le roi NSO l'a fait en 2022 dans le même musée en Allemagne.
♬ son original - NZUI Manto
The throne is distinctive for featuring eye-catching dyed pearls that were imprinted into the structure of the throne with some considerable effort. According to a statement from the Cameroon Embassy, the throne was originally taken out of the country during a period of German colonization in 1908.
Kamerun, as it was known at the time, was an African colony of the German empire from 1884 to 1920. It ceased to be under German control in the aftermath of World War I, with the Treaty of Versailles ultimately leading to it being divided into two separate nations administered by the U.K. and France.
It would take until 1961 before French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon unified to become the country it is known as today. During its time as a colony, the then-king of Bamum, King Ibrahim Njoya, had a good relationship with the German Empire and that is what led to the throne leaving Cameroon, according to the official version of events.
King Njoya gifted the throne to Germany's then-ruler Kaiser Wilhelm II, according to historical reports. In response, Wilhelm is said to have sent a uniform of the German Imperial Guard, which is now exhibited in the Palace Museum at Foumban in Noun, Cameroon.
This version of events appears to be the subject of some debate. Writing in The Kaiser and the Colonies, historian Matthew Fitzpatrick appears to suggest the alliance was born out of necessity rather than a desire to form close bonds.
"While other kingdoms in German Cameroon had chosen to resist the Germans and had paid a heavy price for doing so, King Njoya of Bamum persuaded his people that their interests were best served by striking an alliance with the Germans," he said.
"As part of this self-conscious alignment, Njoya enthusiastically sent a military force against Nso, a Cameroonian kingdom that had earlier defeated and beheaded Njoya's father, King Nsangu. When the Germans retrieved his father's remains during the course of the war, Njoya agreed to send a replica of his throne to Kaiser Wilhelm II as a gift."
What will become of the throne next is unclear. Last year, Germany handed back several priceless artifacts from those colonial times including a shell-studded statue of the mother goddess Ngonnso, which holds significance to the people of Nso in Cameroon.
Bamum will be hoping for the same.
Newsweek has contacted the Cameroon Embassy for comment.
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