This article presents insights into the life story of Johny Baleng, a subchief from the Cameroon Grassfields. I argue that understanding him as a broker in a colonial context helps to identify local agency beyond the paradigm of coloniser-colonised. He needed to prove to his paramount chief that he was able to manage people and facilitate a high agricultural production rate, in order to achieve a more elevated social status in the local context. He travelled extensively and forged alliances with several chiefs of the region. At the same time, he worked with the German and French colonial administrations as a tax collector, worker recruiter and interpreter. These activities secured him an important position in his social environment and in the colonial structures.

本文介绍了喀麦隆草原副酋长约翰尼·巴伦 (Johny Baleng) 的生平事迹。我认为，将他理解为殖民背景下的经纪人有助于识别超越殖民者-殖民范式的地方代理。他需要向他的最高首领证明他能够管理人员并促进高农业生产率，以便在当地获得更高的社会地位。他广泛旅行并与该地区的几位酋长结成联盟。同时，他在德国和法国殖民政府担任过税务员、工人招聘员和翻译员。这些活动使他在他的社会环境和殖民结构中占据重要地位。