| Rudolf Duala Manga Bell | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell King of the Duala | |||||
 Rudolf Duala Manga Bell | |||||
| Reign | 2 September 1908 – 8 August 1914 | ||||
| Coronation | 2 May 1910 | ||||
| Predecessor | Manga Ndumbe Bell | ||||
| Born | 1873 Douala, Kamerun | ||||
| Died | 8 August 1914 (aged 40-41) | ||||
| Wife | |||||
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| Father | Manga Ndumbe Bell | ||||
Rudolf Duala Manga Bell (1873 – 8 August 1914) was a Duala king and resistance leader in the German colony of Kamerun (Cameroon). After being educated in both Kamerun and Europe, he succeeded his father Manga Ndumbe Bell on 2 September 1908.
Bell styled himself after European rulers and at first generally supported the colonial German authorities. He was quite wealthy and educated, although his father left him a substantial debt.
In 1910 the German Reichstag developed a plan to relocate the Duala people living along the river, to be moved inland to allow for wholly European riverside settlements. Manga Bell became the leader of pan-Duala resistance to the policy. He and the other chiefs at first pressured the administration through letters, petitions, and legal arguments, but these were ignored or rebutted. Manga Bell turned to other European governments for aid, and he sent representatives to the leaders of other Cameroonian peoples to suggest the overthrow of the German regime.
Sultan Ibrahim Njoya of the Bamum people reported Bell's actions to the authorities, and the Duala leader was arrested. After a summary trial, Manga Bell was hanged for high treason on 8 August 1914. His actions made him a martyr in Cameroonian eyes. Writers such as Mark W. DeLancey, Mark Dike DeLancey, and Helmuth Stoecker view his actions as an early example of Cameroonian nationalism.