A fon is a chieftain

Tribal chief

A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...

 or king

Monarch

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

 of a region of Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

, especially among the Tikar

Tikar

The Tikar are a group of related ethnic groups in Cameroon. They live primarily in the northwestern part of the country, in the Northwest Province near the Nigerian border. They speak Bantoid language, also called Tikar. Their population is approximately 25,000.The Tikar have elements of...

 and Bamiléké

Bamileke

The Bamileke is a folk whose native ancestral area is in the western highlands of Cameroon's West Province, west of the Noun River and southeast of the Bamboutos Mountains and in the Moungo region of the Littoral, Southwest, and Centre Provinces. They are a part of the Semi-Bantu ethnic groups...

 peoples of the Bamenda grassfields (the Northwest and West provinces). Though once independent rulers, most fons were brought under the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 rule or military subjugation during the colonial

Colonialism

Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...

 period. Following the defeat of the Germans in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the fons came under British

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 or French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 rule, depending on whether their territory fell into British Cameroon or French Cameroon. Since Cameroon's independence in 1961, the fons are under the jurisdiction of the Government of Cameroon

Politics of Cameroon

Politics of Cameroon takes place in a framework of a unitary presidential republic, whereby the President of Cameroon is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...

. However, they maintain semi-autonomous union councils and jurisdiction over their hereditary land.

Some of the historically significant Fons of the Northwest are:

• Fon of Bangwa
• Fon of Bum
• Fon of Bali-Gham
• Fon of Bali-Gashu
• Fon of Bali-Gansin
• Fon of Anong-Timah Bamtie

List of incumbents

This table provides a list of current fons

Fon (Cameroon)

A fon is a chieftain or king of a region of Cameroon, especially among the Tikar and Bamiléké peoples of the Bamenda grassfields . Though once independent rulers, most fons were brought under the German rule or military subjugation during the colonial period...

 in Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

.

Index	Fondom	Incumbent	Tenure
1	The Fon of Akum
2	The Fon of Ambo	H.R.H. Fon Tegum A. M		4	The Fon of Anong	H.R.H. Fon Timah Moses Awenjang II
5	The Fon of Ashong	H.R.H. Fon C.M. Mbafor III.
6	The Fon of Awing
7	The Fon of Baba II
8	The Fon of Babanki
9	The Fon of Bamum
10	The Fon of Bacham
11	The Fon of Bali-Nyonga	H.R.H. Fon Doh Gahyonga
12	The Fon of Bali-Kumbat	H.R.H. Fon Doh Gahnyami III	Since 2006
13	The Fon of Batibo The Fon of Batibo His Royal Highness Fon R.A.M Tebo II of BatiboHRH R.A.M. TEBO II, a Law graduate of the University of Yaounde by training ascended the throne upon the death of his father HRH G.T.T. Mba II in 2005 amidst great political, cultural and economic anxiety in the Fondon...	H.R.H. Fon Tebo II R.A.M.	Since 2006
14	The Fon of Bafanji
15	The Fon of Bafut Fon of Bafut The Fon of Bafut is the fon or Mfor of the town of Bafut and its adjoining areas in the Northwest Province, Cameroon which comprise the erstwhile Fondom of Bafut. Presently, the Fon of Bafut is still a local ruler, but under jurisdiction from the Government of Cameroon, and a board of Fons...	H.R.H. Fon Abumbi II	Since 1968
16	The Fon of Bambalang.	H.R.H. Fon Fosi Yakum Ntaw
17	The Fon Babungo	H.R.H. Fon Ndofoa Zofoa III	since 1999
18	The Fon of Bamesing
19	The Fon of Bangolan	H.R.H. Fon Chafah XI
20	The Fon of Bawock	H.R.H.Nana Wanda III
21	The Fon of Bessi	H.R.H. Fon Forkum Richardson
22	The Fon of Bessom
23	The Fon of Befang
24	The Fon of Chomba	H.R.H. Fon Forbuzie II Martin Asanji	Tenure: since 1963
25	The Fon of Efah
26	The Fon of Eewen
27	The Fon of Enyoh
28	The Fon of Ewai
29	The Fon of Guzang	H.R.H. Fon Mbah II
20	The Fon of Kedjom Keku	H.R.H. Fon Vubansi
31	The Fon of Kom	H.R.H. Fon Vincent Yuh II
32	The Fon of Kugwe
33	The Fon of Kulabei
34	The Fon of Kuruku
35	The Fon of Mankon	H.R.H. Fon SAN Angwafor III
36	The Fon of Mbe
37	The Fon of Mbengkok
38	The Fon of Mbengwi
39	The Fon of Menka	H.R.H. Fon Moses Tadoh Azah
40	The Fon of Mbengwi	H.R.H. Fon Thaddeus Njokum
41	The Fon of Esu	H.R.H. Fon Kum-a-Chuo II Albert Chi Kawzuh	since 2007
42	The Fon of Nkambe
43	The Fon of Nkar
44	The Fon of Ngyen muwah	H.R.H. Fon teche Nje II
45	The Fon of Nkwen.	H.R.H. Fon Ngufor III
46	The Fon of Nso	H.R.H. Fon Sehm Mbinglo I
47	The Fon of Pinyin
48	The Fon of Oku	H.R.H. Fon Setieh II
49	The Fon of Teze-Ngie	H.R.H. Fon Ateughap Justin IV
50	The Fon of Mbiame