Cameroonian authorities have initiated meetings with transporters to hear the concerns they have been expressing recently. The outcomes of these meetings, coupled with the results of many investigations, have prompted the Minister of Defense Joseph Beti Assomo (pictured) to instruct his colleague of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji to deploy the necessary measures to make the life of transporters easier on the Douala-Maroua road.

In a letter dated April 5, Joseph Beti Assomo said 66 checkpoints have been identified on the corridor, including 39 irregular checkpoints and 27 regular mixed checkpoints. “The high number of checkpoints on this road is often initiated by local authorities. This represents an ordeal for road users,” the letter read. Mindef, therefore, asked his colleague to instruct the administrative authorities to significantly reduce the number of intermediate checkpoints on the corridor with the institution of checkpoints bringing together all the administrations involved.

Let’s note that this letter was leaked on social media while transporters on the Douala-Ndjamena corridor protested last weekend. They blocked the eastern exit of the city of Douala on Saturday, April 9, because they were fed up with "all kinds of harassment," according to MP Cabral Libii who tried to meet them.

"While the transporters blame the Defense and Security Forces, Mindef points the finger at the administrative authorities. No matter what, everyone is to blame,” said a source close to the case. According to the World Bank, the Douala-Ndjamena corridor "accounts for 35% of the GDP of the two countries and serves 20% of the population of Chad and 35% of that of Cameroon.”

Ludovic Amara