Douala-Bangui corridor: traffic resumes after weeks of inactivity
By Stephen TADAHA
Traffic has resumed on the Douala-Bangui corridor linking Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR) weeks after it was halted by Cameroonian drivers demanding justice for the killing of their colleague, Mohammadou Awal.
Awal was allegedly hit by a stray bullet on November 18 on the same road as a result of the crisis between rebels and government forces in the neighboring country.
The traffic resumption is the outcome of bilateral discussions between Cameroon’s transport minister, Jean Ernest Masséna Ngalle Bibehe, and his CAR counterpart, Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba.
Both men met with the aggrieved truck drivers in Garoua-Boulai on Monday and made public key points from their discussions on December 3rd.
Among the points discussed, four were quickly resolved, including the return of the victim’s body to Cameroon, the opening of an investigation on the incident that led to the driver’s death, the release of the driver’s assistant, and the return of the vehicle. The discussions also focused on five other crucial points, which included problems of transporting goods and people, excessive taxes, management of weighbridges, and security on the corridor.
Both officials said some of the issues raised by the drivers will take time to be addressed as they need commitment from both countries to be properly addressed.
On the same day, both ministers went on a field visit to Garoua-Boulai to assess the situation on the ground and finalize decisions to resolve the misunderstandings at the border.
This meeting marked a positive turning point in cooperative relations between Cameroon and the Central African Republic, with the objective of relaunching traffic on this strategic corridor for both nations.
