Tokombere: From Interethnic Battles to Linguistic Conflicts: A Sketch of Language Practices Management

This article provides an outline of the development of language practices in the mountains and plains of Tokombere characterized by the identity response and inter-ethnic conflicts which have raged there for decades or even centuries (Socpa: 1999, Bebey: 2018). An analysis of the behaviour of speakers of different languages reveals that, unlike other localities in the Mandara Mountains where we observe a considerable difference between majority languages and minority languages (Bebey: 2020, Tourneux et al.: 2010, Jean Tabi Manga: 1999 and 2000), none of the many local languages emerges singularly to impose itself on the local scene. It demonstrates that inter-ethnic conflicts, the confinement, then the emancipation of small Kirdi peoples brought into play the conquest of certain Islamist languages which, although present and slightly dominant, no longer assume more than a few functions; an observation which leads to the proposal of trilingualism which would like a native of this region to be able to practice the African mother tongue for their cultural roots and the two official languages for their openness to the world; this, contrary to our previous proposals (Bebey, 2021).