Expatriates in Cameroon concerned about possible attacks

Foreigners fear for their safety after 32 people have died in a series of suicide bombings in Bodo, a village north of Cameroun.

On Monday morning, four suicide bombers detonated bombs simultaneously in this small village in the extreme north.

According to official sources of the Cameroonian government, the provisional toll was 32 dead and 60 injured late in the day. An officer and a police inspector were among the victims.

Uncertainties

Several hundred kilometers south, in the Cameroonian capital, life goes on regardless. A few days after the attacks of Ouagadougou on January 15, which killed 30 people (including 6 Québécois), foreigners facing the 24 Hours spoke cryptically about risk of terrorist attacks.

"The parallel is obvious to do with Cameroon, because of the situation of Boko Haram in the north," said Vincent Maysonnave few days before the attacks Bodo.

The French businessman says he has reduced his number of outlets. He also believes that his compatriots are "unconsciously paying more attention" in recent months.

The north of the country is regularly hit by bombings and attacks by the Islamist sect Boko Haram. Since 2013, about 1,200 people were killed in the border region with northern Nigeria. Almost every week, suicide bombers detonated it, killing some civilians.

Irregular Security

Since the attacks of Bamako, last November, which killed 20 people including several foreigners, security measures appear everywhere in Yaounde and Douala.

"However, security protocols are very different from one place to another," says Maysonnave. At the hotel Djeuga, for example, checks are sketchy. "At the Hilton, I was searched. We went through a body metal detector and checked the contents of the bags."

It therefore considers that Yaounde and Douala, although two days from the north road, are still at risks.

A Cameroonian, who wished to remain anonymous, says she avoids places frequented by foreigners since the attacks of Bamako and Ouagadougou.

"It is certain that the procedure is not the same as Boko Haram, but it's still scary. If it is foreigners who are targeted, I do not go to the big hotels."

Our reporter is currently in Cameroon for the completion of reports on the impact of the invasion of Boko Haram in the country. This trip is funded by the African Development organization.