By Kudra Maliro
This year's Guérouwal festival in Niger, which usually brings together Fulani clans spread across West and Central African countries including Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, has been cancelled.
The Fulani are primarily cattle herders inhabiting a wide geographical area from the Atlantic ocean in the west to the shores of Lake Chad in central part of Africa.
But it's mostly the Wodaabé group of Fulani who have retained their nomadic life as herders and merchants.
They are the driving force of the Guérouwal which simply means the "parade of young men or festival of beauty" in Fulani language.
It is a traditional ceremony honouring beauty, elegance and heritage that is held to mark the start of the rainy season every year. The celebrations include camel races, song and dance.
But mega events have been shelved this year. "We won't be holding the Guérouwal this year because of financial problems. The festivals will be organised in small communities," Aboubacar Yacouba Maiga, the head of the festivals and trade fairs division at the Ministry of Culture, told TRT Afrika.
During the celebrations, the Peulhs or Fulani people hold courtship competitions in which young men dress in their finest attires, apply make-up and parade in front of women, who choose their suitor.
"The women are also chosen by the men, but the woman has to accept. Because with the Bororo (a Fulani clan), there is no forced marriage, no arranged marriage, it's the woman who chooses the man," adds Mr Yacouba Maiga.
The winner gets the right to marry the woman of his choice, with the agreement of his family.
It is an opportunity to get together, exchange ideas and strengthen social and family ties. The event is a big draw for tourists who are curious to discover this fascinating ancestral culture.
Several travel agencies offer tour packages for people keen to attend the festival and enjoy an unforgettable experience. Niger's culture ministry supports the festival and promotes it as a symbol of cultural diversity and national unity.
"The Guérouwal is a traditional annual festival that takes place naturally, as you know, it's a nomadic festival that generally takes place around a watering hole. Despite the differences between the Bororo Fulani and the Wadaabe, I'm delighted to see that Guérouwal exists today," added Yacouba.
