https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv8oCQ_b66k

Abumbi II, the 11th king or fon of Bafut, Cameroon, has almost 100 wives.

Local tradition lets a king marry his own queens and inherit all the wives of the previous fons, HNGN reports.

Polygamy is legal in Cameroon, but data shows that there are far fewer polygamous marriages in Africa than monogamous, partly due to the spread of Christianity.

In addition to the spread of Christianity, polygamy in Africa is being challenged by changing values, the growing appeal of Western lifestyles and the rising costs of big families, CNN reports. Cameroon’s traditional rulers must walk a fine line between often-conflicting cultures.

“During colonialism, other values came in, of governance, different from the traditional values we had and therefore there is this constant conflict between the traditional values and modern western values,” said Fon Abumbi II.

“My role is to blend them, to find the way forward so my subjects can enjoy the fruits of development and modernity without destroying their culture,” he said. “Without a culture, you are not a human being, you are an animal. And therefore the chieftaincy institution is the guarantor of our culture.”

Fon Abumbi II has ruled Bafut, the largest fondom in the region, for 47 years the Daily Mail reported.

The West often criticizes polygamy, but others value the tradition, according to CNN Inside Africa presenter Soni Methu, who met with Fon Abumbi II. You can watch the CNN video here. There’s more to the practice than meets the eye, she said.

“I understand that we might be quick to judge the lifestyle of the kings, but just like in the U.K., African kingdoms and kings are bound to a rich culture and history. (Practices) like inheritance of all your father’s wives is nothing but a moral obligation.”

Methu also met the queens of Fon Ndofua Zofia II of Babungo — one of Cameroon’s youngest traditional rulers.

“All his young wives, forced on him by tradition, spoke fluent English in a French-speaking region and were great marketers,” she said.

Prince Nickson, also of Bafut, said the wives have helped prepare him for his position as king, HNGN reports. “The queens have a great role to play in the fondom,” he said.

“Behind every successful man must be a very successful, staunch woman,” said Abumbi’s third wife, Queen Constance.