Madame Fabiola ECOT MBIDA, could you present the CIPCA and explain how an art center comes to devote itself to Songo ?


The CIPCA is the International Center for Cultural and Artistic Heritage, located in the Omnisport district of Yaoundé. We host exhibitions and artistic residencies there. Currently, our approach is deeply rooted in the preservation of living heritage, which has led us to focus on Songo. We have initiated, with sub-regional partners, the Sub-Regional Songo Commission. Last May, we organized historic assemblies at CIPCA. The objective was to harmonize the rules of a game played in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo-Brazzaville. We had the honor of welcoming high-level delegations, notably Mr. Emilio Boukoui, Equatoguinean president of the commission, and Mr. Désiré Mefama, president of the Gabonese federation and first vice-president of the commission, while I assume the second vice-presidency. These works benefited from the high patronage of the Ministry of Arts and Culture, as well as the support of UNESCO and private partners such as Ecopark and Orange.



Songo is a popular game, but it lacked a formal framework. Why did you focus your efforts specifically on this discipline ?


There are certainly many traditional games, and we work hand in hand with the pole dedicated to the Ministry of Arts and Culture. But Songo brings together determined actors who have managed to federate beyond national borders. It possesses a genuine diplomatic, geostrategic, but also social and cultural potential. It weaves unique links between societies on either side of borders, something few sports manage to achieve.



For those discovering the discipline, how is Songo presented and how does learning unfold within your structure ?


Songo is a game that appears simple at first glance but possesses great strategic depth. Materially, it consists of a board with 14 squares divided into two camps of 7, initially containing 5 seeds per square. The principle consists of capturing the opponent's seeds through cunning and subtlety. The first person to gather the required number of seeds wins the game. There are several national variants (the Bulu, Eton, or Erundo versions), but the basic rules remain very close. To get initiated, the public can come to CIPCA. I am furthermore accompanied by Mr. Zanga Rigobert, a renowned practitioner and member of NAGESC, who leads initiations at our stand to allow everyone to try and assess their level.



Mr. ZANGA Rigobert, what are the major rules that were harmonized during your sub-regional workshops to enable fair competitions ?


The CIPCA assemblies allowed us to set precise standards. Henceforth, a confrontation is played in six rounds, and victory goes to the player who accumulates the most won rounds. Regarding captures, each player has 35 seeds on their side, for a total of 70 on the board. The codified rule, which we call the Nkpem version, requires reaching 36 seeds to win the game. The art of the game lies in the ability to secure one's seeds while anticipating the opponent's moves. Practice remains the best way to assimilate these subtleties.



Madame Fabiola ECOT MBIDA Songo is now being exported onto the international scene, notably on the occasion of the upcoming Beach Games. How is Cameroon's participation in this event organized ?


As second vice-president of the Sub-Regional Songo Commission, our role is to act as an institutional interface between Cameroonian authorities and the organizing committee of the Beach Games in Riaba, Equatorial Guinea, scheduled for next March. We do not directly select athletes, but we provide national authorities with all the technical documentation and participation requirements needed.


Interview conducted by BCN

Tags: songo cipca jeu traditionnel patrimoine culturel afrique centrale jeux de plage harmonisation des règles unesco yaoundé transmission culturelle