the transportation of goods between Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR) has resumed The Douala-Bangui corridor had been blocked for two weeks by Cameroonian transporters in Garoua Boulaï This resolution came after a productive meeting in Cameroon between Cameroonian and CAR transporters both countries committed to ensuring the free movement of people and goods between them improving security for Cameroonian transporters in CAR the body of the murdered Cameroonian truck driver was repatriated The Douala-Bangui corridor is one of the main supply routes for the CAR bringing goods and equipment into the country about CFA55 billion worth of goods from the CAR are unloaded at the Douala port each year and then transported to Bangui Kribi Bitumen Plant Set to Start Construction in 2025 with Government Backing CEMAC Bond Market Hits CFA 8.45 Trillion in March 2025, Interest Rates Drop Cameroon’s Timber Output Projected to Rise in 2025 Despite Higher Export Taxes Central Africa Stock Exchange Sees 98% Drop in Trading Value in Q1 2025 Every week the economy and investment news from Cameroon Mboa Paris Trains 30 Young Cameroonians to Boost Tech and Entrepreneurship Cameroon Audit Targets Former Officials for Mismanagement in Agricultural Project Camwater Seeks Global Bids to Launch Bottled Water Lines in Five Cities Bafoussam Workshop Highlights Benefits of Cameroon-EU Trade Agreement Cameroon Could Reach 350,100 Tons of Cotton in 2025 (Beac) Paul Biya Appoints Johnny Razack as Chair of Cameroon’s National Investment Company Cameroon Refuses Work Visa Renewal for Casino and Super U Boss Over Toxic Workplace Claims Cameroon Joins Global Charter to Fight Illegal Fishing 2023 shows a scene of the signing ceremony of a Chinese-aided water project in Garoua-Boulai Cameroonian Minister of Water and Energy Gaston Eloundou Essomba on Monday laid the foundation stone of a Chinese-aided water project in Garoua Boulai The launch constitutes the second phase of the project which aims to improve water production and supply in nine cities of the Central African nation 30 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian Minister of Water and Energy Gaston Eloundou Essomba on Monday laid the foundation stone of a Chinese-aided water project in Garoua Boulai The project will be implemented by the Chinese construction company CGCOC Group 2023 shows a scene of the commencement ceremony of a Chinese-aided water project in Garoua-Boulai "The duration for the second phase of this project is 36 months .. I would therefore expect the CGCOC company to be as professional as it has always been," Essomba said after officially launching the project "The direct impact of this project will relate to the production of approximately 120,000 cubic meters available to the populations," said Blaise Moussa general manager of state-run Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation "And if we consider that each cubic meter corresponds to a household you can multiply what this can bring as a result." The project was launched in 2014 with the first phase of construction completed in four cities This second phase targets the cities of Garoua-Boulai The armored vehicle stood at Cameroon’s Garoua-Boulai border crossing the barrel of its machine gun pointing unmistakably toward the Central African Republic (CAR) Border police said that they are on maximum alert after rebels attacked a crucial highway in the CAR blocking hundreds of trucks and prompting an exodus of terrified people into Cameroon An alliance of armed groups tried to advance on the CAR capital Bangui ahead of presidential elections on Dec The gunmen were swiftly thwarted by UN peacekeepers trying to strangle Bangui by launching hit-and-run raids on the RN1 Highway is a border town of 80,000 people where before the crisis about 200 trucks rolled across the border each day laden with essentials for the landlocked CAR’s capital The border point has become a parking lot — more than 400 trucks are stacked up but swiftly turned back because of the poor security “The border is now closed,” a senior police official said Soldiers from the elite Rapid Intervention Brigade have taken up a position at the edge of the border perimeter to tackle any rebel incursion police have stepped up patrols and identity checks in the streets — even in hotels and bars — and take away people unable to produce identification documents The attacks on CAR’s supply backbone are the latest crisis to roil a country that ranks second-poorest in the world and has seen little but bloodshed and misery since a coup seven years ago About two-thirds of the country is in the hands of armed groups that sprang up in the turmoil in 2013 but the effects of a de facto blockade is starting to be felt in higher prices for certain foods and supermarkets and wholesalers have said that their inventories are starting to dwindle hundreds of trucks are parked on the roadside and hundreds more on land in front of a government building a young Cameroonian “moto-boy,” or assistant driver “I’ve been sleeping here for 21 days,” he said “It gets cold at night and we don’t have much to eat.” a 22-year-old assistant driver from the CAR He was cooking for a group of 44 drivers and their assistants They included 17 truckers hauling fuel from Chad — a trip of 1,000km — and heading for Bangui “It’s impossible — they have to make the road secure,” said one of them hundreds of CAR residents in a nearby refugee camp crossed the border post each day to return home as their compatriots seek the haven of Cameroon UN High Commissioner for Human Rights data showed 12 March 2014 (IRIN) - Up to 130,000 refugees have fled from the Central African Republic (CAR) to Cameroon who are struggling to cope with the speed of the influx more than 20,000 CAR refugees entered Cameroon either internally or in neighbouring countries Very few aid agencies are present to respond to the needs of the displaced and many of the arrivals have not received any shelter materials West Africa Operational Representative with Médecins sans Frontières told IRIN the problem comes down to a lack of preparation on the part of aid agencies in Cameroon and a late - and slow - response on the ground [the UN refugee agency] which should be taking charge took time to mobilize its resources and coordinate the response In any case there is a lack of implementing partners,” he told IRIN As a result MSF has been forced to cover more activities than expected and partly take care of displaced people's needs in two camps and some surrounding settlements Some 30,000 refugees and returnees are estimated to have fled to East Region where they are staying in the border towns of Garoua-Boulai trucks and tents - some provided by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Others have been taken into people’s homes - some of them relatives “Garoua-Boulai is overstrained by the different groups of refugees and the situation is getting out of hand,” said the town’s mayor “The refugees outweigh the capacity of UNHCR and the only government hospital is overwhelmed with patients,” she told IRIN UNHCR and the Cameroon Red Cross (CRC) are registering refugees for transfer to a camp in Mborguéne but the site is more or less devoid of basic services The nearest health clinic is 27km from the camp Getting it up to scratch will require a lot of work men and women recount similar stories of family members being killed by anti-balaka militias said: “Their lives have been totally transformed or destroyed by what is happening in CAR arrived in Garoua-Boulai on 19 February in a container truck “My son Shadu and my brother were killed by anti-balaka in Yaluka I ran away with my two wives and 10 children,” he told IRIN all of my belongings and my shop when anti-balaka came and all our remaining money was taken from us,” 35-year-old Shaibu “My husband died during a fight when he tried to stop anti-balaka militia from sending us out of the house Two men stabbed him with knives in his chest and I ran away with my children,” Fadimatu says her granddaughter was raped by two men in the village of Barou but she has been sleeping every day,” Hawa told IRIN in tears “I came here with Papa and Mama and my sisters We sleep in a tent built by Papa.” Mamadu said that when he is hungry he begs for food in the village and brings what he can to his parents and sisters UNHCR and the CRC are distributing food to families “We don’t have enough food to eat and no money but it is not enough for everybody,” Shaibu told IRIN director of the Garoua-Boulai District Hospital which has received over 150 refugees daily since January told IRIN many arrived with injuries from clashes with anti-balaka militia they lack sleep and do not have enough rest,” he told IRIN “We have been addressing cases of malnutrition I have operated upon patients with gun and machete wounds and women with complicated pregnancies,” Hasim told IRIN Cholera and meningitis are dangers to watch out for said Dereje Terefe of the International Medical Corps “Refugees and locals are currently in a dry with high population density and harsh climate conditions,” he said stressing that Cameroon and CAR both lie in the African meningitis belt MSF is helping the local health district by running mobile clinics that offer emergency medical help in towns and villages along the border The district hospital has just seven nurses “We have very little capacity to address the growing health problems in this community… In February alone and their structures are just temporary,” said Hasim Forces from France and the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) are stationed at the border with Cameroon to prevent militia attacks They have also secured the road from CAR capital Bangui to Cameroon will encourage more refugee movements in weeks to come A lieutenant with the French Army in CAR said but movement around the country is still dangerous.” Some displaced groups in Cameroon complained the forces were not doing enough to protect them or to clamp down on the anti-balaka “The MISCA forces see anti-balaka stopping vehicles and abusing people Our vehicle was escorted by MISCA and white armies but it was still stopped and money taken from us all,” said a refugee in Garoua-Boulai Cameroon security officials are worried about the uncontrolled flow of people from CAR commander of Cameroon’s 123rd Infantry Mobile Company in Garoua-Boulai said identifying and registering refugees for handover to UNHCR “remains a big challenge to the authorities.” “We are searching every truck and all people who cross the border to ensure that fire arms are not infiltrated into Cameroon But this is not easy because there is no clear line of border distinction between Cameroon and CAR,” he told IRIN Many of the refugees coming into Cameroon are indigenous Mbororo people from the Bochambele which were targeted for their wealth and livestock although we came with nothing,” Shaibu As a result of determined government efforts locals of the border town with the Central African Republic now go about their normal business unhindered by CAR Séléka rebels calm and serenity now reign in Garoua Boulai in Lom and Djerem Division of the East Region right on the border with the Central African Republic According to the Divisional Officer for Garoua Boulai Subdivision the security situation in Garoua Boulai - located 250 km from Bertoua capital of the East Region - has improved significantly in the recent past You have selected an article from the AllAfrica archive, which requires a subscription. 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To address comments or complaints, please Contact us Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you There was a problem processing your submission At least 117 Central African Republic's (CAR) soldiers have found refuge in neighboring Cameroon following repeated rebel attacks in their country Cameroonian authorities told Anadolu Agency on Monday said the soldiers arrived last week in Garoua-Boulai after rebel attacks in the northwest of the CAR "They arrived with their war equipment and were disarmed before being greeted by the sub-prefect of Garoua-Boulai and the local military authorities," Mvongo added He said the soldiers are housed in a military camp awaiting their return to the CAR once the security situation improves Since the deterioration of the security situation in the CAR the Cameroonian authorities have been on constant alert the governor of the eastern region presided over a security meeting in Garoua-Boulai regarding the security and political crisis in neighboring CAR “The number of refugees is increasing significantly day by day .. High-ranking Central African personalities have come to settle for security reasons ” the governor told reporters at the end of this meeting The situation in the war-torn country is extremely tense since the candidacy of the former President Francois Bozize for the Dec 27 elections was rejected by the Constitutional Council the armed forces and UN peacekeeping forces More than 55,000 people have fled violence according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Recent rebel attacks has prompted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge all parties to cease hostilities and ensure peace Several towns in the northwest of the country have borne the brunt of fighting between rebel groups and the Central African armed forces three Burundian peacekeepers were killed in the CAR where the rebel coalition broke its cease-fire shortly before the presidential and legislative elections Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker UNHCR assisted in the relocation of 13 IDPs from Yaloke enclave in the Central African Republic under the family reunification process UNHCR has assisted 20 IDPs from Yaloke to relocate to Cameroon since 4 March Several other IDPs in the Yaloke have departed on their own accord on board of commercial trucks escorted by MINUSCA along the Bangui-Garoua Boulai supply route to Cameroon will continue with the family reunification process The Central African transitional government announced the closure of Mpoko airport site by the end of June 2015 of which 77% are from Bangui’s 3rd district The Shelter/NFI/CCCM Cluster will lead the operation with the support of the Inter Cluster Coordination Group and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) The intentions of return/relocation of IDPs to areas of their choice were established through a survey led by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) The results of this survey are a critical planning tool for the camp closure operation Particular attention will be given to the reintegration of IDPs in the neighborhoods of return Also of concern is the security situation in certain neighborhoods which remains a major challenge especially for 42% of the IDPs who want to return to the 3rd district 436,256 IDPs including 49,113 in Bangui in 35 sites 456,531 Central African refugees in Cameroon 8,103 Refugees and asylum seekers in the Central African Republic (Business in Cameroon) - During a routine check in Garoua Boulaï an Eastern Cameroonian region sharing a border with the Central African Republic Cameroonian customs seized 448 boxes of smuggled medicines the final destination of these boxes from the Central African Republic was Douala The seizure is the result of the operation baptized “Halte au commerce illicite” (Halcomi) launched months ago by Cameroonian authorities This lightning raid is aimed at protecting the domestic market flooded with smuggled goods (Business in Cameroon) - Cameroonian customs officers stationed in Garoua-Boulaï (an eastern region town bordering the Republic of Central Africa) recently seized seven (7) kilograms of gold being smuggled The precious metal was hidden in the luggage of a Chinese national coming from the Republic of Central Africa the trafficker who was taken into custody claimed that the seized gold was the property of several of his compatriots living in the CAR This revelation confirms the existence of precious metal and stones trafficking between Cameroon and the CAR with   Garoua-Boulaï being one of the hubs of those traffics on the eve of a Kimberly Process assessment mission in Cameroon a report published by Canadian organization IMPACT (formerly known as Partnership Africa Canada-PAC) presented Cameroon as a hub where CAR’s conflict diamonds are exported The accusation was refuted by Cameroonian authorities but since then several precious metal shipments have been seized at airports and in cities across the country whose network often includes people living in the Republic of Central Africa is fought by Cameroonian customs officers on the ground and the anti-trafficking cells installed in the airports of Yaoundé and Douala since 2016 (Business in Cameroon) - In need to learn more about time and formalities required to cross borders within the Cemac area the African Development Bank (AfDB) conducted a mission early 2019 across the corridor from Douala (Cameroon) to Bangui (Central African Republic) and Ndjamena (Chad) This 1,500 km road is the main axis on the Douala - Yaoundé - Bonis - Bertoua - Garoua-Boulaï – Bangui segment The Douala-Bangui and Douala-Ndjamena corridors are served by a little more than 5,000 trucks and the existing agreement provides for 60% Cameroonian truckers and 40% Central African truckers only five Central African carriers operate on this axis the remaining (4,995) are all Cameroonians AfDB has noted that travel can easily reach 5 to 8 days with many checkpoints and weighing stations It identified 60 checkpoints between Douala and Garoua-Boulaï and each trucker pays between $6 (about XAF3,500) and $10 (XAF5,500) at each point the 4,995 Cameroonian truckers pay between XAF17.4 million and XAF27.4 million per trip even though there are no rest areas provided for transporters Insecurity between Garoua-Boulaï and Bangui requires convoy travel under UN or Central African Armed Forces escort three times a week Escort fee is $50 (nearly XAF30,000) per truck and per trip from both Garoua-Boulaï and Bangui Cameroonian drivers thus pay about XAF150 million per trip there is“the payment to the Central African rebels of $10 per driver departing Garoua-Boulaï despite the presence of the UN or Central African escort.” In other words the Central African rebels receive from 4,995 Cameroonian truckers an amount of XAF27.47 million per trip despite the presence of a UN escort At the Beloko border on both the Cameroonian and Central African sides each driver must pay $32 (about XAF18,600) to cross the border without a receipt That is nearly XAF93 million for all the Cameroonian drivers on each trip Cameroonian truckers pay between XAF287.8 million and 297.87 million per trip on the Douala-Bangui corridor Garoua Boulai in Cameroon’s East Region presents a peculiar situation Given its proximity to the frontier with the volatile Central African Republic As you drive in late in the morning of September 27 a strange sight immediately catches your attention On guard in front of the administrative building The reason for your curiosity to find out as soon as possible The mission of the armed policeman on a school campus Наслаждайтесь азартом на любом устройстве! Скачайте мобильное приложение Vavada kz и играйте без блокировок Начните с приветственного бонуса и открывайте для себя турниры Offer your company and your employees the best information Take advantage of our preferential rates reserved for professionals Discover our digital subscription offers to find Cameroon-Tribune at home palm oil and cooking salt has not been distributed to the 23,000 Central African refugees living in the Gado Badzere camp located in the Cameroonian town of Garoua-Boulaï at the border with the Central African Republic the WFP (World Food Program) now enables these refugees to sustain themselves with foods of their choice FCfa 8,500 per family member is transferred on a monthly basis to each family The families can therefore make their purchases who have themselves received from the WFP seed money worth FCfa 1.5 million each can thus get supplies from wholesalers approved by the WFP the Gado Badzere camp has 30 electronic money transaction points there are 21 shops held by refugees themselves and which led to the creation of 33 direct jobs through the recruitment of shop attendants Central African Republic refugees in the border town of Garoua Boulai in Cameroon’s East Region understand that the disease is right there in their midst the urgency to bar the way to new infections “We are so grateful to the United States Agency for International Development USAID for funding the project to sensitise and take care of COVID-19 cases Garoua Boulai hosts thousands of refugees from neighbouring Central African Republic who need to be protected against the Coronavirus pandemic.” This is the informed view of Ella Mbomoyo Clovis the Subdivisional Delegate for Women’s Empowerment and the Family for Garoua Boulai in Lom and Djerem Division of Cameroon’s East Region Financed by the United States Agency for International Development the project has seen the donation of the life-saving equipment to the East He owes his life until this day to nothing else but destiny He could well have died alongside his parents some years ago That was the first time he survived - by a whisker The second was in 2020 in the border town of Garoua Boulai Located in Lom and Djerem Division of Cameroon’s East Region he was rushed to Garoua Boulai District Hospital Where he was soon diagnosed with serious respiratory difficulties as a result of Coronavirus or COVID-19 infection A pandemic that landed in Cameroon in March 2020 Apart from technical staff and those raising awareness on the ground the USAID-financed project owes its success largely to the support of Cameroon’s local administrative officials “We all remember the tension and anxiety created in the early days by the Coronavirus pandemic Garoua Boulai Subdivision was not left out This is why we continue to make efforts to contain the situation Because government cannot do everything alone the support from the United States Agency for International Development was warmly welcome,” Jean Patrick Abena the Divisional Officer for Garoua Boulai in Lom and Dejerem Division of East Region The project has succeeded in curbing preterm and low birth weight deaths in the East Region by about 50 per cent in two years but insufficient equipment is hampering further success “Improving access and quality of new-born care in 5 health districts of the East Region from 2018-2020” is still underway Funded by the Korea National UNICEF Committee and implemented by the East Regional Delegation of Public Health and the Cameroon Kangaroo Foundation the project also received technical and financial assistance from UNICEF Cameroon KMC project covered about 5,000 children in Abong-Mbang Batouri and Garoua Boulai Health Districts Batouri and Garoua Boulai District Hospitals; Catholic Integrated Health Centre Bertoua Regional Hospital and the Protestant Hospital Though evaluation is still going on to determine the full impact of the project “If preterm and low birth weight children before the project were dying at the rate of say This is because a great majority of parents continue to follow KMC instructions after leaving hospital,” Ottop explains In some of the 7 health facilities involved in the project there have been no preterm and low birth weight deaths in the past two years some women do not honour KMC appointments in hospital because of lack of means and sometimes public transport but most decisions concerning the child are taken by the father the decision to take the child to hospital or accept kangaroo mother care must be approved by the husband before the wife agrees,” Ottop explains Mbororo tribes people consider preterm babies a curse “Talking them out of such a belief is not easy but we keep sensitising by passing through their traditional and religious leaders Sensitisation is continuous,” she assures.  Cameroon (Reuters) – Every day at dawn Polycarpe Fodjo gets up from a makeshift bed under his truck and waits He should have delivered a load of rice from Cameroon to Central African Republic over three weeks ago but a violent rebellion across the border has halted trade he and about 830 other truck drivers line up for breakfast provided by the transport union while some perishable goods rot in the tropical heat The bottleneck is being felt in the markets of Central African Republic’s capital Bangui where food is scarce and prices have risen another blow to the impoverished nation wracked by unrest and corruption Central African Republic (CAR) has seen a wave of violence linked to a disputed Dec 27 election won by President Faustin-Archange Touadera Armed groups opposing Touadera have attacked towns and threatened to storm Bangui sucking in CAR’s army as well as French “We were made to understand that after the elections the crisis could be resolved,” said Fodjo who is transporting rice for the World Food Programme The violence has forced over 30,000 people to flee to neighbouring countries mostly to the border town of Garoua-Boulai CAR has had five coups and numerous rebellions since independence from France in 1960 It has been hit by militia violence since a 2013 rebellion ousted former president Francois Bozize arms embargoes and sanctions on militia leaders peace has been elusive in the gold- and diamond-rich nation of 4.7 million store fronts are emptying out and the price of goods is going up Why are they doing this to us?” said market wholesaler Blandine Yeke Benedicte Beika fled to Cameroon after a series of rebel offensives in the west It is the second time the mother-of-five has fled violence in CAR since 2013 “I have no intention of returning to the country … because I’m sick it is out of the question for me to go back and increase my suffering further,” she said Powered by PageSuite The Circle of Friends of Cameroon offered diverse gifts to the population of the locality in the East Region yesterday Work on the second phase of the drinking water project in Garoua-Boulaï in the Lom-et-Djerem division of Cameroon’s East region officially began on August 28 The ceremony was presided over by Gaston Eloundou Essomba the Minister of Water and Energy of Cameroon the Minister of the Civil Service and Administrative Reform of Cameroon A recent contract between the Cameroonian government and the Chinese company CGC Overseas Construction Group (CGCOC) would see CGCOC perform the work in the Garoua-Boula region Also Read: Nachtigal hydropower project Cameroons largest HEP project forges forward The project entails renovating the current raw water intake, expanding and renovating the treatment facility to give a 1,800 m3 per day production capacity, and constructing a 500 m3 reservoir. This project is being funded by the State of Cameroon with the aid of a 63 million CFA franc (96 million euros) loan provided by Exim Bank of China in March 2018 CGCOC will also be expanding the network that distributes drinking water in Garoua-Boula The aim is to improve the drinking water supply for the town’s 141,388 inhabitants the project should be completed in 36 months the second phase of the PAEP will include the towns of Garoua With the goal of supplying a 74,400 m3 per day production capacity for drinking water implemented between 2014 and 2017 in the towns of Sangmélima began work in this locale in the East region many years after it was completed the work done by CGCOC “enhanced storage capacity by 36,100 m3 And drinking water production capacity by 111,881.67 m3 per day this project phase also made it possible to add 79 new standpipes and an extra 633.75 km to the drinking water network Welcome to Construction Review a portal that serves the building and construction industry through our blog social media presence and print publication Contact us Guest Posting Take down policy