This paper examines how traditional authorities in Kom and Bali, Cameroon, assert control over land amid competing state power and legal systems. Using ethnographic data, it shows that the fons employ hybrid strategies-symbolic, performative, and material to reinforce legitimacy and influence land governance. The fon of Bali engages in state politics and elite networks, gaining material legitimacy but losing grassroots trust. Conversely, the fon of Kom remains politically neutral, basing legitimacy on cultural continuity and moral authority. The study finds that moral legitimacy rooted in grassroots perceptions is more crucial for effective land conflict mediation than formal legal authority or political alliances. By challenging rigid state-tradition binaries, the paper highlights how both actors contribute to land tensions. It concludes that sustaining traditional authority depends on adaptive strategies and maintaining community trust and neutrality, offering broader insights into legitimacy and conflict resolution within hybrid political orders.
Emmanuel Lohkoko Awoh (Tue,) studied this question.