Garoua-Boulaï: Over 400 trucks blocked

Over 400 trucks have been parked at the Douala-Bangui corridor since the beginning of the strike action by Cameroonian truck drivers because of the violence they face.

Traffic on the Douala-Bangui corridor is strongly a concern. Trucks full of goods from Douala and other cities are to be sent to Bangui, their final destination.

They have been immobilized for several days in Garoua-Boulai. Suddenly, the car park of this border city has grown by an impressive number of trucks. According to the Mayor, Esther Yaffo Ndoé, "more than 400 trucks are parked."

This assessment was done at the end of last week. The Sub-Prefect, Diyen Jam Laurence, speaks of "hundreds of trucks parked" in the center town of Garoua-Boulai. The situation is critical; traffic is stopped and the number of vehicle increases everyday.

Moreover, along the Bertoua-Garoua- Boulai line, there are evidence of immobilized trucks for several days. The drivers refuse to enter CAR due to insecurity. "We are overwhelmed," lamented the Mayor. On the other side of Kentzou, another popular route by carriers to Bangui, the situation is similar.

The reason of the work stoppage is due to the insecurity in CAR. The drivers who use the route said they are victims of this violence as soon as they enter the Central African territory. Since July 29, they decided to abandon their vehicles.

According to Ibrahima Yaya, president of the National Union of Professional Transport Drivers in Cameroon (Synaprotcam), his members are regularly killed on the Central African soil. For him, instead of saving lives through their activities, by conveying goods to people battered by the crisis, carriers should not lose their own lives. The case dates back to early July.

Four Cameroonian carriers have lost their lives due to rebel attacks. The incident occurred at Baboua near Bouar in Central African territory. Ibrahima Yaya estimated 100 Cameroonian carriers could have been killed in the space of one year, starting from September 2014.

To revive this vital traffic corridor, the union hopes that security measures are taken by the Central Government in collaboration with the Minusca responsible for bringing peace to this neighbouring country.

This will be in order to save the lives of truckers who are constantly in danger when they're on Central African soil. An inclusive negotiation between the Central African governments, Cameroon and Minusca is necessary to defuse the crisis.