Douala-Bangui truck drivers to go on strike

Truck drivers, who frequently use the Douala-Bangui corridor, have informed authorities of their intention to go on strike to protest against the numerous attacks they faced regularly on the road.

The looting of trucks and killings perpetrated by armed robbers, since the beginning of the Central African crisis, in some parts of the Douala-Bangui corridor are among the reasons why the drivers intended on a strike action.

However, they have currently suspended the action due to the intervention of some Cameroonian and Central African authorities.

Ibrahima Yaya, union president of professional drivers of Cameroon, and El Hadj Oumarou, coordinator of the land freight Management Office (BGFT), spoke on the strike by the truck drivers they supervise.

"We are victims of killings, beatings, theft of goods and truck parts by strangers; these are my own reasons why we decided to go on strike”, Ibrahima Yaya said to the press.

The Coordinator of the BGFT however said, "The United Nations which is close should endeavour to find ways and means by which they can conveniently ensure the safety of goods and especially people. There have been 11 deaths and two missing up to date".

Although the strike has not started, the CAR government was the first to react by sending a representative to Cameroon. HileasSylain Yagda, director general of Transport in Central Ministry of Transport and the civil aviation, met with some partners to discuss the unfavourable conditions for a genuine Cameroon-Central African-UN tripartite dialogue.

According to HileasSylain Yagda, "This meeting will allow us to identify any blockages on the corridor and find appropriate measures to alleviate the dangers faced by truck drivers."

The Central African government requested that the truck drivers should give the tripartite three weeks to solve the problem.