The Joking Relationship as a Bulwark Against Open Crises Between Baribas and Fulbés in Banikoara
İsmail Yarou Bio Souley, Yüksel KırımlıThis study explores the joking relationship, a bulwark against the open crises that occur between the two dominant demographic elements of the Banikoara commune in the northern region of the Republic of Benin on the African continent: the Baribas and the Fulbés. The article is based on an ethnographic field research conducted through observation, focus group discussions, and personal interviews with Banikoara residents in 2019. Research findings point to the importance of the joking relationship between the two communities in social rapprochement processes, such as mutual adaptation, kinship, and alliance formation. The practice of joking, an ancestral tradition, has been shown to lead to a kind of virtual kinship, creating patterns of harmony and alliance. The tradition of joking facilitates neighborly relations within the commune between the Baribas and the Fulbés, who sometimes face clashes.
Banikoara’da Baribalar ve Fulbéler Arasındaki Açık Krizlere Karşı Bir Siper Olarak Şaka İlişkisi
İsmail Yarou Bio Souley, Yüksel KırımlıBu çalışma, Afrika kıtasında yer alan ve 1975 yılına kadar Dahomey adıyla anılan Benin Cumhuriyeti’nin kuzey bölgesindeki Banikoara komününün iki başat demografik unsuru Baribalar ve Fulbéler arasında meydana gelen açık krizlere karşı bir siper olan şaka ilişkisini konu edinmektedir. Makale, Banikoara’da 2019 yılında katılarak gözlem, odak grup görüşmeleri ve kişisel mülakatlar yoluyla gerçekleştirilen bir etnografik alan araştırmasına dayanmaktadır. Araştırma bulguları, iki topluluk arasındaki şaka ilişkisinin karşılıklı uyum sağlama, sanal akrabalık ilişkisi ve ittifak kurma gibi toplumsal yakınlaşma süreçlerindeki önemine işaret etmektedir. Bir ata geleneği olan şakalaşma pratiği, sanal akrabalık yoluyla uyum ve ittifak örüntüleri yaratmaktadır. Şakalaşma geleneği, zaman zaman birbirleriyle çatışan Baribalar ile Fulbélerin komün içindeki komşuluk ilişkilerini kolaylaştırmaktadır.
This study focuses on the relationship patterns between the Baribas and Fulbés, the two dominant demographic elements of Banikoara, one of the 77 communes of the West African country Benin. The agricultural income earned in Benin over the years comes from the production of food products and cotton. Banikoara is the main center of cotton production in the country, where the Bariba is the main provider. While the Bariba is a sedentary community that produces cash crops, primarily cotton and also food crops, the Fulbé, a semi-nomadic community, are mostly identified with animal husbandry. They raise small livestock such as sheep and goats, and poultry, and also engage in aquaculture, including shrimp and other mollusks. Conflicts between these two communities occasionally arise from the limitations and problems in the agricultural and livestock activities of the region and ecological crises (CARDER, 2000; FAO, 2004).
Banikoara consists of one urban (Banikoara-Marou city) and nine rural (Founougo, Gomparou, Goumori, Kokey, Kokiborou, Ounet, Somperekou, Soroko and Toura districts) local government districts. The rural districts (arrondisement) consist of sixty-nine (69) villages. The country’s population is diverse, with approximately thirty ethno-linguistic communities. It consists of Bariba (70%), Fulbé (23%), Dendi (1.6%), Yoruba (1.3%), Fon (0.8%) and other groups (3.3%). (RGPH4-2013). Although each of these communities speak their vernacular language, 57 different languages are known to be spoken throughout the country (Bio Bigou, 1987). Bariba people speaking the Baaton language make up the majority of Banikoara’s population, while Fulbé people speaking the Fulfulbé language are the second largest community in the commune. Both communities span multiple regions and countries. Baribas are found in the Alibori, Borgou and Atacora regions of Benin and Nigeria; Fulbé people live in almost every region of Benin and in countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.
This study explores the joking relationship, which is a bulwark against the open crises occurring between the Baribas and Fulbés of the Banikoara commune in Benin. The article is grounded in an ethnographic research conducted in 2019, employing methods such as observation, focus group discussions, and personal interviews within the Banikoara commune in Benin. The research delves into the reflections of agricultural policies aimed at rural development in the Republic of Benin, specifically examining their impact on the socioeconomic conditions of the Banikoara commune. A substantial portion of our interviews, totaling 90 individuals, engaged active members of local development associations—12 individuals from each of the 5 associations. Additionally, we interviewed religious leaders (5 individuals) and other residents of the region. This article heavily relies on interviews conducted with members of the Bariba and Fulbé communities, providing insights into their daily interactions.
Although the ‘peaceful’ history of the two communities has been emphasized in interviews with community members and in common narratives, it is known that there are" silinecek. "conflicts" kelimesinden sonra "arise" eklenecek. Yani düzelti şöyle görünecek: ", conflicts arise between these two communities from time to time, especially due to the limitations and problems in the agricultural and livestock activities of the region and ecological crises. It is necessary to evaluate these conflicts within national and regional socio-ecological, economic, and political contexts. The first part of the article outlines the major reasons for the past and future conflicts between the Baribas and Fulbés. The second part discusses the socio-cultural implications of various types of joking relationships between these communities.
Research findings point to the importance of the joking relationship between the two communities in social rapprochement processes, such as mutual adaptation, kinship, and alliance formation. The practice of joking, an ancestral tradition, has been shown to lead to a kind of virtual kinship, creating patterns of harmony and alliance. The tradition of joking facilitates neighborly relations within the commune between the Baribas and the Fulbés.
