By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
His Royal Highness Fon Sehm Mbinglo I, the traditional ruler of Nso, will officially launch his debut book, “The Fon of Nso and the Anglophone Crisis: A Testimony for Reconciliation and Peace,” on June 26.
In a press release issued June 3, the Fon announced that the inaugural launch will take place in Yaounde. This event will be followed by a series of additional presentations in various towns across Cameroon and among the diaspora.
According to the release, these gatherings are intended to be conducted in the spirit of ancestral dialogue and community engagement. The monarch envisions these events not merely as book launches but as a continuation of the tradition that has guided the Nso people through the centuries, serving to support ongoing national efforts toward peace, justice and unity.
The book spans 170 pages and includes a foreword, a preface and acknowledgments. It is divided into seven parts containing various subchapters. Beyond the narrative, the publication features several photographs depicting key events from the start of the Anglophone crisis as well as earlier moments during his reign, offering readers both textual reflection and visual testimony.
The royal family stated that the book is intended to complement, strengthen and preserve for posterity a portion of the broader royal narrative and message rather than replace the oral tradition. The communique noted that the book responds to the demands of the present moment while remaining faithful to the enduring values of Nso culture. In this context, it serves as a tool for peace, reconciliation and historical preservation within and beyond the Nso community.
Rooted in the age-old tradition of “Tooy Fon,” or fireside conversation, the publication invites the people of Nso and Cameroon at large to gather in dignity, calm reflection and mutual respect. It seeks to strengthen bonds of understanding and reminds the public of the need to carry scars with dignity, walk in fairness and forgive with courage.
Fon Sehm Mbinglo I leads the Nso traditional institution, one of the most prominent in Cameroon. Through his leadership, advocacy for dialogue and nonviolence, and commitment to community welfare, he has promoted peace, reconciliation and social cohesion by drawing on ancestral wisdom.
