Volume 5 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fitd.2024.1371670 Introduction: Kousseri in the Far North Region of Cameroon has long been known as an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) although the study on sand flies in this focus is scarce The present study investigates the spatial distribution and ecological aspects of sand flies from Kousseri This study is based on the need to optimize the effectiveness of leishmaniasis control programs in the northern part of the country Methods: Sand flies were sampled monthly over 12 months in five selected sites using CDC light traps Only captured females were morphologically identified at species level based on valid keys 4,214 sand fly specimens were collected during 360 trapping nights The male/female sex ratio slightly favored females (1:1.04) The eudominant Sergentomyia antennata followed by both dominant Sergentomyia schwetzi and Sergentomyia squamipleuris were the most common and abundant species the confirmed vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in West African foci was found in four of the five surveyed sites in animal shed and in uninhabited house biotopes squamipleuris prevailed in rural areas and in animal shelter biotopes and outside dwellings and Sergentomyia adleri prevailed during the dry season The highest Shannon–Wiener index of sand flies due to the maximal richness and evenness was found in the urban area and during the rainy season (H′ = 1.68 These data provide evidence that less urbanized areas and the absence of precipitation (dry season) favored the dispersion of abundant sand fly species in Kousseri Based on previous reports on Leishmania transmission a surveillance plan is required to prevent an outbreak of VL or an establishment of CL or canine leishmaniasis (CnL) in this focus Further research identifying the blood meal source and the Leishmania parasites in these insects is critical for providing insightful data to fight leishmaniasis in Northern Cameroon This knowledge can inform targeted interventions such as insecticide spraying or the use of bed nets to reduce the population of a particular species and minimize disease transmission it can aid in prioritizing areas for surveillance and intervention efforts maximizing the impact of limited resources in endemic regions The present study was carried out with the overall objective of acquiring knowledge on the spatial distribution and ecological aspects of sand fly species in order to provide reliable entomological data needed for the development and implementation of successful control strategies against leishmaniasis in the northern region of Cameroon Figure 1 Map showing the sand fly collection sites in Kousseri (A) Cameroon map showing the Far North Region (B) Far North Region Division showing Logone-et-Chari (C) Logone-et-Chari Subdivision showing Kousseri (D) Kousseri sand fly sampling sites (A–E) Five capture sites (Figure 1D) of three ecological areas comprising urban areas (sites A and E) and one rural area (site E) were selected in the town and its surroundings The site selection criteria were as follows: (i) the level of urbanization and socio-economic status of the inhabitants; (ii) the presence of suitable environments for insect vector breeding (presence of animals and humid shelters); (iii) ecotopes found across the area; and (iv) the accessibility and availability of minimal accommodation facilities The geographic coordinates of each sampling site were recorded using a Garmin eTrex 12-channel handheld GPS (Garmin Ltd., Schaffhausen, Switzerland). The characteristics of each collection site are described in Table 1. A photograph of each site (Figure 2) was also taken using a digital camera Table 1 Characteristics of sand fly capture sites Figure 2 Photographs of different sand fly collection sites This combination of trap types helps in studying the population dynamics of sand flies more accurately and provides a better understanding of their behavior and distribution two compounds were randomly chosen for each collection site two traps (one of each trap type) were displayed in the human dwellings (bedroom or parlor) and one black light trap outdoors (in the courtyard) one black light trap was set in an animal shed one incandescent light trap was set in an uninhabited house (including a ruined house or storeroom) and another incandescent trap was set outdoors (in the courtyard or hung under a tree depending on the situation) The purpose of this setup was to provide valuable insights into the preferred habitats and behaviors of these insects A total of six traps (three traps per compound) were deployed during 360 trapping nights These traps were installed from sunset (6:00 to 7:00 p.m.) to sunrise (5:00 to 6:00 a.m.) at about 50–80 cm above ground level the net box of each trap was kept at −20°C for at least 2 h This freezing process was necessary to immobilize all trapped insects the caught sand flies were immediately separated from other insects under a field dissecting microscope and preserved in labeled cryogenic vial tubes containing 90° alcohol and transported to the Laboratory of the Leishmaniasis Research Project located at the Mokolo Annex Regional Hospital for subsequent dissection and identification The degree of occurrence (Deg Occ) was computed by dividing the number of sites where sand flies were caught by the total number of sites studied to assess the distribution pattern of sand flies at a spatial scale according to the method adopted by Rydzanicz and Lonc (37) sand flies were classified into five categories: the distribution pattern of the species is sporadic (S) the distribution pattern of the species is infrequent (IF) the distribution pattern of the species is moderate (M) the distribution pattern of the species is frequent (F) the distribution pattern of the species is constant (C) Ecological diversity indices including the Shannon–Wiener index (H'=∑i=1sPi×lnPi), the Simpson index of diversity (1−D=1−∑i=1sPi2), and Pielou’s evenness [J=H/H' max=H'/log(S)] were assessed to characterize the sand fly population (14) - N represents the total number of individuals in the sample - s is the total number of species in the sample - Pi is the proportion of the total sample belonging to the ith species with ni being the number of individuals in taxon i A p-value of less than 0.05 (p< 0.05) was considered to be statistically significant To estimate sand flies’ richness and the adequacy of sampling efforts species accumulation rarefaction and extrapolation curves generated by the iNEXT software (Online Version 2022) and expressed by the following formula were used where N = total number of individuals in the sample (40) 2,150 (51.02%) females and 2,064 (48.98%) males The mean captures account for 11.70 sand flies per night per trap (5.97 female sand flies per night per trap and 5.73 male sand flies per night per trap) Trapping success originated from the Kawagi capture site was represented by 152 sand flies (31 males and 121 females) from an animal shelter biotope and by 142 sand flies (64 males and 78 females) from the outdoor collection and dominance structure of female sand flies collected in Kousseri from September 2020 to August 2021 Table 3 presents the male-to-female (M/F) sex ratio distribution and the abundance of sand flies using parameters such as capture site the M/F sex ratio was slightly in favor of females (1:1.04) although no significant differences between the overall sex ratio M/F of sand flies in this study were found (p > 0.05) More male sand flies were collected in three of the five surveyed sites while female sand flies were more abundant than males in sites D and B Animal sheds and uninhabited houses’ biotopes had the greatest number of females during the dry season sites A and E are urban with densely plastered human dwellings while sites B and C are peri-urban settlements with unplastered dwellings and animal sheds in the compound Site E with animal sheds and agricultural fields around the compound was the only site in the rural area the highest number of sand flies was found in the rural area Table 3 Sex ratio distribution of caught sand flies according to collection site Table 4 illustrates the RA and diversity indices of caught female sand fly species in the capture sites and both Sergentomyia logonensis and Sergentomyia affinis vorax which are sporadic (Deg Occ = 20%) in captured sites all other sand fly species in the surveyed sites were constant (Deg Occ = 100%) and E were the most abundant sand fly species distincta represents 35.46% of the captures in the site A versus only 0.97% in the rural area It is clear that its relative number increased from urban to rural areas suggesting that it is an urban species that might prefer humans as a blood source rather than animals None of the sand fly species captured in site A showed a statistically significant difference (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 7.0321 schwetzi represents 54.74% of the catches in site B a suburban site with densely populated and unplastered human dwellings while representing only 7.47% and 22.95% in sites D and E Statistically significant differences in the RA of caught sand flies were found in the species of this site (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 39.542 duboscqi were found in site C when compared to the other capture sites they represented 52.44% and 2.22% in this surveyed site versus only 18.86% and 0.68% in sites A and E The sand fly species trapped in site C also showed statistically significant differences (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 15.911 and Sergentomyia adleri showed their greatest proportion in site D compared to other captured sites with their proportions decreasing from rural to urban areas which showed that these species are well adapted to the rural areas where there is a wide range of domestic animal surrounding human dwellings A statistically significant difference in the RA of caught species within site D was observed (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 31.376 none of the sand fly species showed a relatively great number when compared to their proportions in other capture sites but a significant difference was found among species (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 19.575 and occurrence degree of collected female sand fly species of Kousseri from September 2020 to August 2021 according to capture sites The species richness ranged from 8 to 10 species in the samples The lowest species richness but highest values of Shannon index and Simpson index of diversity were found in site A (S = 8 species; H′ = 1.65; J = 0.65 respectively) followed by site D (H′ = 1.59 while the highest value of species richness but lowest diversity indices were found in site B (S = 10 species Figure 3 Rarefaction curve at 95% confidence interval based on species richness in captured sites Solid line = observed species (rarefaction); dashed line (extrapolation species richness) The NMDS plot of the sample sites is shown in Figure 4 The Bray–Curtis dissimilarity is reflected in the distance between each point Given their dispersion across the ordination space the figure implies that the species composition of site A differs significantly from that of other capture sites The resulting stress of the NMDS ordination (stress = 0) indicates an excellent representation of the original distance matrix the distances between points on the plot closely reflect the actual dissimilarities between the sites Figure 4 A non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) plot on Bray–Curtis dissimilarities showing the female sand fly species composition between capture sites in Kousseri RA of caught female sand flies varies with biotype. Se. antennata was the most abundant species in outdoors, human dwellings, and animal sheds, while Se. schwetzi was dominant in uninhabited houses (Table 5) adleri showed their greatest relative number from outdoors as they represent and 2.15% of the outdoor catches in comparison to their lower proportions in animal sheds All sand fly species collected from outdoors showed significant statistical differences (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 23.447 distincta were the most anthropophilic species due to their higher indoor human dwelling proportions in comparison to their uninhabited houses’ proportions and animal sheds A statistically significant difference was found in sand fly species’ RA collected from uninhabited/ruined houses (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 33.095 p-value = 0.0001) and human dwellings (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 19.649 accounting for 60.61% and 1.79% of the captures while only 35.65% and 0.69% were collected outdoors A statistically significant difference was also found in sand fly species collected in animal sheds (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 18.095 schwetzi accounts for 45.64% of the catches from uninhabited houses while representing only 10.93% of the outdoor collection A statistically significant difference was also found in sand fly species collected from uninhabited/ruined houses/storerooms (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 33.095 and diversity estimates of female sand fly species according to trap position The species richness was slightly higher (S = 10 species) from outdoors and in uninhabited house biotopes than from animal sheds and from human dwellings (S = 9 species) Highest species diversity indices were found in outdoors (H′ = 1.80 followed by human dwellings (H′ = 1.62; 1-D = 0.74 indicating the highest species diversity and an even species distribution the lowest species diversity due to the strong dominance of Se antennata was recorded in the animal sheds (H′ = 1.3 According to Table 6 adleri were mostly caught in the rainy season with the greatest RA as they represented 35.20% of the total sand fly caught against only 16.78% duboscqi were mostly collected during the dry season with significant differences (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 33.789 antennata was the most abundant species captured during the dry season and represented 46.54% (n = 694) of the catches followed by Se duboscqi accounted for 1.34% (n = 20) in the dry season and only 0.46% (n = 3) in the rainy season affinis vorax were collected in extremely low RA in this study in only one season each All sand fly species collected in this survey cannot be treated as true seasonal species even with their presence in only one season or with their RA higher in one season compared to the other Statistically significant differences in sand fly species’ RA were also observed during the rainy season (Kruskal–Wallis chi-square = 19.107 and diversity estimates of collected female sand fly species collected in Kousseri according to seasons The species richness was the same in both seasons (S = 10 species) and evenness indices were slightly higher in the rainy season in comparison to the dry season (H′ = 1.74; 1-D = 0.75 emphasizing a slightly high diversity and an even distribution of species during rainy seasons due to the strong dominance of Se representing approximately 47% of the capture The present study was carried out to fill this information gap duboscqi observed in peri-urban areas could suggest a higher host vector exposure in this area compared to other regions Overall observations prove that the dispersion of sand flies is much reduced and the species composition and abundance can change from one ecotype to another close by highlighting the importance of understanding the specific ecological factors that contribute to the distribution and abundance of female sand fly species in different settlements Only female sand flies were identified in the current study and subjected to the analysis of the distribution of species as the presence of male sand flies could potentially impact the overall distribution patterns observed Future research could benefit from including both male and female sand flies in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of species distribution duboscqi in human dwellings recorded in this study could suggest difficulties in access to human blood meal sources compared to animal sheds where they can easily feed on a wide range of domestic animals such as goats and chickens predominantly found in the study area This preference for animal hosts over humans potentially reduces the risk of disease transmission to people living in these areas It is possible that the adoption of protective measures such as insecticide-treated bed nets or the use of repellents may have contributed to the lower prevalence of Ph duboscqi and any other sand fly species in human dwellings investigating the blood meal sources in these sand fly species and their role in the transmission of VL is therefore necessary These findings could challenge the traditional understanding of Leishmania transmission and highlight the need for further research to fully understand the role of sand flies in the spread of the disease studying the transmission cycles in Kousseri VL endemic focus can provide valuable insights into potential alternative vectors and their impact on public health Our results also reported a higher Pielou’s index (J) in both seasons (rainy: 0.76; dry: 0.71) J is strongly influenced by climate variation and environmental changes and the dominance index (1-D) is also high The correspondent 1-D values (rainy: 0.77; dry: 0.72) indicated that the sand fly community in this microenvironment is evenly distributed in both dry and rainy seasons This result suggests that the sand fly population is resilient and able to maintain a relatively balanced distribution of species abundance regardless of the season It also implies that environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall do not significantly impact the distribution of sand flies in Kousseri Further research is needed to understand the underlying factors driving these differences and their implications in sand fly diversity Our study provides important knowledge on sand fly ecological distribution in Kousseri and an outdoor environment favor the distribution of abundant sand fly species duboscqi as the only known vector of leishmaniasis in Kousseri this sand fly species was caught in four of the five surveyed sites Kousseri should be at risk of Leishmania transmission Solely female sand flies were identified in this study which might constitute a bias and a limitation in accurately assessing the full extent of sand fly population dynamics The data reported herein provide valuable information for the epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis and can serve as a baseline for extensive future entomological work in Kousseri further studies should be undertaken including male sand flies in the sampling process to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the population dynamics investigating sand fly blood meal sources and reservoir hosts and detecting Leishmania parasites in caught female specimens could help further assess the risk of Leishmania transmission The data of such studies could contribute to a better assessment of the epidemiology of the disease and consequently provide additional data required for the development and implementation of a control program against leishmaniasis in Northern Cameroon as a whole and in Kousseri in particular The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors The manuscript presents research on animals that do not require ethical approval for their study The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research This work was supported by the PIIVec (Partnership for Increasing Impact of Vector Control) Operational Research Project (PV/OP2-02/TA) under the MRC grant MR/PO27873/1 for field study and Laboratory analysis We are thankful to the PIIVec and the Center for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) for awarding TNA grant fellowship to fund field and laboratory work We are also incredibly grateful to the families/community in the Kousseri area and their chiefs for their assistance and consent to work in their compounds The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher A historical overview of the classification and dispersion of leishmania parasites and sandflies Les phlébotomes (Diptera : Psychodidae : Phlebotominae) Entomologie Médicale et Vétérinaire Google Scholar Leishmaniasis in Cameroon and neighboring countries : An overview of current status and control challenges Leishmaniasis in northern and western Africa: A review CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Status of vaccine research and development of vaccines for leishmaniasis Effect of prophylactic vaccination with the membrane-bound acid phosphatase gene of leishmania Mexicana in the murine model of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis Advances in the treatment of leishmaniasis doi: 10.1097/00001432-200212000-00007 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Exploiting knowledge on leishmania drug resistance to support the quest for new drugs 10. 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All rights reserved (Business in Cameroon) - During the 4th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing Cameroon's President Paul Biya made a strong call for increased Chinese investments in the country’s road infrastructure His request is aimed at boosting the development of roads and other large-scale projects in Cameroon “We are set to launch our second-generation flagship projects soon including Phase 2 of the Yaoundé-Douala highway and the Maroua-Kousseri road,” President Biya announced during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 4 He added that these projects present key investment opportunities for the Cameroonian government and Chinese companies In his traditional end-of-year address in 2023 President Biya had already mentioned the planned start or resumption of several road projects in 2024 He specifically noted that negotiations over the Ebolowa-Kribi road he gave orders for the rehabilitation of the Ngaoundéré-Garoua road and emphasized the need to keep pushing for the completion of the Mora-Dabanga-Kousséri road and the rehabilitation of the Edéa-Kribi and Douala-Bafoussam roads The China First Highway Engineering Corporation (CFHEC) was selected to handle Phase 2 of the Yaoundé-Douala highway which spans 136 kilometers and is valued at CFA812.8 billion rehabilitation work was set to start in 2023 and expected to finish by 2027 This project is partially funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) Other significant projects include the Yaoundé bypass which has a projected cost of CFA1,264 billion and the Ebolowa-Akom 2-Kribi road (179.2 km) The rehabilitation of the Ngaoundéré-Garoua road (242 km) is particularly vital to Cameroon’s economy as it is part of the Douala-N'Djamena corridor through which about CFA350 billion worth of Chadian goods pass every year President Biya stressed that Cameroon needs substantial funding to achieve its goal of becoming an emerging economy by 2035 "Our goal is to build a stronger economy based on competitive local industries capable of transforming our mineral and agricultural resources to meet domestic needs and export in large quantities," he said He urged China and its businesses to enhance their support to help realize this vision He also expressed hope that ongoing talks with China’s Eximbank would lead to clear and straightforward financing agreements avoiding any misunderstandings that could delay project execution Biya acknowledged the importance of Chinese investments in Cameroon’s development According to Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics (INS) trade between China and Cameroon reached CFA1,178.1 billion in 2023 China is also the largest investor in the country Cameroon attracted an estimated $799 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) ahead of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Cameroon repaid CFA148.2 billion in debts to Eximbank China including CFA34.7 billion in interest and CFA113.5 billion in principal These repayments were the largest amounts of debt and interest settled by Cameroon so far this year according to the Autonomous Sinking Fund (CAA) 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 You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed (Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon's Minister of Public Works announced the launch of a tender for the rehabilitation of four additional sections of the Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road in the Far North region This initiative falls under the Connectivity financially supported by the World Bank with approximately CFA200 billion The 205-kilometer Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road is a vital communication artery for Cameroon connecting the country to its neighbors Chad and Nigeria It plays a crucial role in regional trade and people's mobility its rehabilitation has been long delayed due to repeated Boko Haram attacks and structural challenges in implementing large infrastructure projects in Cameroon was awarded to the Chadian company Sotcogog SA for CFA14.6 billion This 22-kilometer section marks the beginning of the rehabilitation of this critical route for the region The new tender now targets the rehabilitation of the remaining four sections of the road The first lot involves the Tchakamari-Waza section The second lot covers the Waza-Zigague section (46.575 kilometers) the third includes the Zigague-Kabo 2 section (53.425 kilometers) with the Tildé bridge and the fourth lot includes the Tildé-Kousseri-Douanes section (37 kilometers) and the construction of a 7.5-kilometer bypass road in Kousseri to improve traffic flow in the city The execution period for the works is set at 30 months for the first three lots and 32 months for the fourth lot The rehabilitation works aim to enhance the quality and durability of the road while strengthening the resilience of infrastructure against climate hazards and security threats in the region The project also seeks to promote economic inclusion for local communities by improving their access to markets and essential services Interested companies are invited to submit their technical and financial bids in a sealed envelope by July 25 The Ministry of Public Works indicated that the submissions must include a bid guarantee of CFA350 million for each lot The operation's cost has not been disclosed but the government plans to use part of the World Bank loan to cover the rehabilitation costs (Business in Cameroon) - The Government of Cameroon announced the construction of a plant to transform plastic wastes into eco-friendly paving stones The initiative that falls within the framework of the World Bank-supported Lake Chad Region Recovery and Development Project (Prolac) will be implemented in Kousseri has already launched the recruitment of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to conduct the plant initiative the consultant will have to train the youth of the city of Kousseri on the techniques of collection and valorization of plastic waste into ecological paving stones; organize campaigns of plastic waste collection to reduce the volume of waste in the city of Kousseri; organize a workshop of training and practical work on the waste transformation process Applicants have the possibility of associating with other firms but must indicate clearly if the association is in the form of a joint venture or a subcontracting agreement Expressions of interest must be submitted by May 4 Let’s note that the government has also planned to build paving stone manufacturing units in other cities (Maroua and Bamenda) the perk of the Kousseri project is that the stones are ecological and thus less polluting than those made out of concrete This is in line with Cameroon's commitment to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 32% by 2030 (Business in Cameroon) - In the framework of the HALCOMI Cameroonian customs agents recently seized a record 50 tons of contraband sugar 1,068 bags of 50-kg sugar were seized in Kousseri (Far North) which shares a border bridge (the Ngueli bridge) with Ndjamena commanding officer of the third zone of HALCOMI 3 (which covers the three northern regions) the importer declared flour but when the load arrived at Kousseri it was found out that the load was in fact sugar special authorizations are needed but the importer had none,” the officer explained.  until further notice, by the Cameroonian government in 2014 to protect the local industry It was notified in a letter dated August 21 general secretary of the Presidency of the Republic due to the main local sugar producer’s inability to meet the local demand special authorizations were usually granted to importers including the market leader Société sucrière du Cameroun (Sosucam) SOSUCAM’s repeated complaints (the company usually threatened to stop operations and lay off staff due to poor sales) forced the government to officially suspend the issuance of import authorizations (in 2018).   3 sub-contractors have recently been recruited to ensure progress of the construction of the Mora-Dabanga-Kousséri road in the Far-North the construction works of the 200-km road have been on standstill for months now The selected companies are PAC International they will respectively be in charge of the Mora-Waza (60 km) Waza-Sale (40 km) and Dabanga-Kousseri (75 km) axis formerly chosen to handle all the construction will only build the 30-km Sale-Dabanga axis These sub-contractors have been recruited to complete the works by June 2020 June 2020 is the date the project’s backer (the World Bank) is planning to close the credit line opened for the construction about 10 years ago the selection is not only aimed at timely completion of works but also at quickening the disbursement in the framework of the project Let’s note that the construction of the road Apart from the organizational delays encountered in the implementation of projects in Cameroon this road project has been particularly affected by the insecurity created by Boko Haram in Far-north Cameroon the construction works were brutally stopped after the base camp of Sinohydro (in charge of the construction at the time) was attacked by Boko Haram 10 Chinese employees of Sinohydro were kidnapped and freed after tough negotiations conducted by Cameroonian authorities Despite its many promises to restart the works Sinohydro finally abandoned the construction Cameroon received the World Bank’s approval to entrust the works to its military engineering unit which promised to deliver within 24 months This promise was obviously made without taking into account many unexpected events that finally forced the project manager (the Ministry of Public Works) to urgently recruit these three sub-contractors Cameroon will not lose financing for the project launched about 10 years ago the minister of public works launched the resumption of the construction of the more than 200 kilometers long Mora-Dabanga-Kousséri The works which started with the construction of Mora-Dabanga was interrupted on May 16 following an assault on the base camp of Sinohydro which was in charge of the works 10 Chinese employees of the company were kidnapped They were however released after tough negotiations conducted by Cameroon government has commissioned the military engineering unit to conduct the works this after the World Bank authorized the construction which World Bank supported with CFA70 billion is a key infrastructure in the commercial exchanges between Cameroon It is the main transit axis for goods from Borno to the Far-North region of Cameroon and to Ndjamena it is a section of Douala-Ndjamena corridor on which about CFA340 billion Chadian goods transit according to figures from Cameroon’s customs dating back to 2013 (Business in Cameroon) - The Ministry of Public Works in Cameroon (Mintp) has awarded the rehabilitation contract for a section of the Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road to the Chadian company Sotcogog SA This section covers 22 km from Mora (pk 3) to Tchakamari (pk 25) in the Far North region worth CFA14.6 billion (VAT included) was signed on February 2 Sotcogog is responsible for "executing the works and rectifying all related defects in absolute conformity with the provisions of the contract." Financed by the World Bank through the International Development Association (IDA) the project is set to be completed within 15 months The World Bank approved funding of CFA198.2 billion ($330 million) on June 20 for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the 205 km Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road Technical oversight will be provided by the Alpha Consult/Ace Engineers consortium for CFA902.7 million Mintp said that "Sotcogog will be getting down to work in the next few days" Sotcogog strengthens its foothold in the Cameroonian construction market having already completed various projects in the country The company is currently collaborating with Razel on the construction of the Logone Bridge connecting Yagoua (Cameroon) and Bongor (Chad) The rehabilitation of the Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road (205 km) is eagerly awaited as it serves as a vital corridor linking Cameroon to Nigeria and Chad Observers are closely monitoring the awarding of contracts for the remaining section's (183 km) rehabilitation (Business in Cameroon) - Securing the construction site amid Boko Haram threats stands as the primary challenge in the Mora-Kousseri road rehabilitation project the Ministry of Public Work revealed in its annual road project review The review points out that because the project area has a high-risk security situation contractors can only work on the sections if there is a security plan in place it costs about CFA46 million every month to keep it running the rehabilitation of the Maroua-Kousseri road which connects Cameroon to Chad and Nigeria leading the World Bank to cancel its initial funding for the project before it could be completed and this roadwork has been particularly affected by insecurity caused by Boko Haram in the Far North region Construction began but was abruptly halted on May 16 due to a Boko Haram attack on the base camp of Sinohydro who were later released after intense negotiations led by Cameroonian authorities Despite several promises to return to the construction site Sinohydro finally withdrew from the project entrusted the project to the military through the Military Engineering Corps The project was set to be completed within 24 months Work resumed in early March 2018 but advanced slowly until early 2020 the Military Engineering Corps brought in three subcontractors to speed up the work particularly on the Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri section Despite the participation of PAC International the work wasn't finished by the World Bank's deadline of June 30 The World Bank had provided funding for this project for the past 10 years and wanted to close its first line of credit (Business in Cameroon) - On 27 October 2018 the Cameroonian military engineering restarted construction work on the Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road in the Far North due to the insecurity created by Boko Haram which had kidnapped employees on the site work was recently interrupted once again due to heavy rain Let’s mention that this 205-km road is the very first contract in history to have been awarded to a specialized unit of an army The latter invested about CFA70 billion in the project which is a strategic infrastructure for trade between Cameroon (Business in Cameroon) - The World Bank approved financing of $330 million (CFA198.2 billion) for the rehabilitation of the Maroua-Kousseri road in Cameroon’s Far North region including refugees and internally displaced persons will benefit from the restoration of the Mora-Kousseri section (205 kilometers) on national road 1 (RN1) and markets," said the Bretton Woods institution in an official statement The financing includes a credit of $280 million (CFA168.2 billion) from the International Development Association (IDA) and a grant of $50 million (CFA30 billion) from the IDA window for host communities and refugees (WHR) This is the second time the World Bank is funding the road’s rehabilitation the works were hindered by structural delays and Boko Haram’s incursions in the Far North.  the first attempt to repair the road was halted on May 16 after the Nigerian group of terrorists attacked the base life of Sinohydro 10 of the Chinese firm’s staff members were kidnapped was able to have them released after tough negotiations Sinohydro promised on multiple occasions to return to the project but gave up The government then trusted the project to the army the project was scheduled to be completed within 24 months but was delayed until early 2020 the Military Engineering team hired three subcontractors who especially worked on the 175 km long Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri section of the road.  the project was not completed on the due date set by the World Bank–June 30 It was the date by which the Bank had set to close the line of credit it opened for the previous decade (Business in Cameroon) - The construction works of the 206 km long road linking the towns of Mora have just been awarded to Génie-Militaire (military engineering) a specialised unit of the Cameroonian army This is the purpose of an agreement just signed between the Ministers of Defence and Public Works in Cameroon who is financing this road project valued at FCfa 70 billion “We collaborated to ensure that we have the framework for implementation by the Génie Militaire unit with provisions which ensure a good control at the financial level technical level and even with regards to the relations between the communities and Gébie Militaire This unit will also be in charge of security of the sites and people” Operations Director at the World Bank for Cameroon this is the first time that the World Bank approves the awarding of a co tract to an army rather than a company The Mora-Dabanga-Kousseri road is strategic in the commercial exchanges between Cameroon this road is the main transit line for goods coming from the Borno State Nigeria going to the Far North region in Cameroon and Ndjamena Initially handed to the Chinese company Sinohydro this road project (particularly the Mora-Dabanga stretch) were then interrupted following the kidnapping of 10 employees of this Chinese company by members of the Islamist Nigerian sect Boko Haram (Business in Cameroon) - The prefect of Logone et Chari department intervened to address the sharp increase in the price of super fuel in Kousseri Tayem chaired discussions that now establish the price of a liter of super at CFA1,000 According to Cameroonian authorities and transporters the price surge observed over the recent weeks is a result of strong demand for super fuel from Chad Chad's Djarmaya refinery has been closed for maintenance since the start of April the maintenance work is expected to continue for almost two months The insufficient imports of petroleum products authorized by the Chadian authorities coupled with speculations by some local distributors of petroleum products This situation has led Chadian consumers to resort to the neighboring town of Kousseri in Cameroon where Chadian traders have also found a good opportunity They buy large quantities of fuel and transport it across the Logone River to sell at a high price in the Chadian capital Sources say that even during periods when the Djarmaya refinery was operational trade in petroleum products between Chad and Cameroon was thriving Chadians often refuel in Cameroon during periods of tight supply while Cameroonians usually prefer to fill up their tanks in N'Djamena where pump prices are more attractive Let’s note that Cameroonian authorities have deployed law enforcement to combat fuel smuggling into Chad Conseil national des chargeurs du Cameroun (CNCC) laid the first stone of Kousséri’s logistics base Kousséri being the main hub of commercial exchanges between Cameroon and Chad This infrastructure will be delivered in 2022 and will cost CFA1.3 billion a 60-room accommodation center and a restaurant this logistics base will improve transporters’ working conditions but above all it will facilitate the transport of goods to the Northern region of Cameroon and to Chad Transporters will no longer be obliged to go to Douala for car tracking forms as they will be delivered at Kousséri (Business in Cameroon) - Last September 16 the thrust block of a culvert crumbled in Ebomé along the Yaoundé-Douala road which is part of the Douala-Ndjamena and Douala-Bangui corridors had a negative impact on activities along the Douala-Ndjamena corridor where about FCFA340 billion worth of Chadian goods transit each year This is according to Cameroon’s customs office “The bad state of the Maroua-Kousseri axis forces us to use the road that goes from Touboro to the South of Chad This causes long delays on delivery schedules At least 800 km separate Maroua and Kousseri the distance is twice as long,” said Alhadji Ousmanou a leading member of Cameroon’s Road Hauliers’ Organization in an interview with tri-weekly regional newspapers l’œil du Sahel importers and exporters to record significant losses traffic on the Douala-Ndjamena corridor has considerably decreased due to the absence of freight things are still difficult (…) Some hauliers load cargos at Douala heading Kousseri but have issues going back as they have to do so with no cargos and cannot therefore bear the cost of their trip,”  Alhadji Ousmanou explained which can partially be attributed to a slowdown of Chad’s economic activities as a result of the crisis in oil prices (the country gets 70% of its revenues from the black gold the union was blaming a group of clandestine hauliers who actually control nearly 45% of the terrestrial freight in Cameroon Cameroon immigration authorities have expelled 450 Nigerians from Kousseri a border town with Chad in the far north of the country The Nigerians were part of a larger group of foreign nationals expelled from Chad for not being documented According to Africa Review the Nigerians were ferried to Mayo-Oulo on border with Nigeria and handed over to Nigerian authorities in Mubi The expelled Nigerians have contested the action Cameroon authorities say the move was a preventive measure against the increasing threats from Boko Haram “They are foreign nationals without valid documents We are working towards identifying those who are living with us [legally] The expulsion concerns only foreign nationals without valid documents,” said Albert Mekondané Obounou the prefect of Cameroon’s Logone and Chari division Cameroon frontier police were also reported to have rounded up scores of Chadian nationals on Wednesday and handed them to their country Other reports said a group of Malians without valid documents was currently under the detention of Cameroon immigration services in the north “We decided to send home all foreigners without valid papers Other countries of the sub-region involved in the fight against Boko Haram had advocated this solution to truly fight against the terrorists who infiltrate people,” a security source said the expulsion of the Nigerians was just the beginning of a crackdown on undocumented foreigners that will continue 8,128 Nigerian refugees were in Cameroon’s far north Chad forced out scores of foreign nationals said it was necessary for all Cameroonians living in Chad to update their residence permits in order to avoid such embarrassment and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value"