Kotoko, Massa and Mousgoum clash over SEMRY land

The people of Kotoko, Massa and Mousgoum violently challenged the decision of the Logone and Chari prefect on the sharing of SEMRY's land site.

The event took place at the millet Market neighborhood, near the Eneo agency in Kousseri, with five people injured on Tuesday, August 4.

They barricaded the road leading to Nguéli bridge on the border between Cameroon and Chad. They prevented the movement of vehicles between the two countries all day.

According to various sources, the riots were caused by an elite of Kotoko (who was arrested) and a Mousgoum leader. They were Toudjani Adji, notable in the Sultanate of Kousseri, and Alhaji Adam, Chief of Mousgoum of Kawadji community, a suburb of Kousseri.

Albert Mekondané Obounou, the Prefect of Logone and Chari, visited the site where he demarcated and distributed the free land, abandoned by SEMRY, to Kotokos, Massa and Mousgoum.

According to the explanations of the administrative authority, some leaders were offended by the distribution of 603 hectares for several years.

"We created a commission that worked with members of the various sociological components installed around the perimeter of the SEMRY land. Kousseri's Sultanate got angry and saw it fit to claim all the land,” Albert Mekondané Obounou said.

He continued: “We said to each other that today, we only have one enemy. This enemy is called Boko Haram and we will not allow the insurgents to disturb the peace we have.”

According to him, calm and serenity was observed reigned in the city of Kousseri since yesterday. Jean Kotva, the head of Massa community, said via the phone that: "We have challenged the allocation sent by the prefect. The problem is that we have been attacked by our Ktokos brother since Monday. We listened to the prefect and everything is calm this morning.”

The members of the Kotoko community demanded the release of three members of their community and Toudjani Adji, held at the central prison in Kousseri.

According to various sources in Kousseri, even though there is calm, tension is still high between the different communities of Kawadji millet market, situated around SEMRY.

The commission was set up by the Prefect of Logone and Chari who proceeded to share all the 603 hectares owned by SEMRY through the following: Kotoko families were given 53 hectares, Massa families had 173 hectares and Mousgoum families were presented with 251 hectares and the rest is the property of the state.

According to the commission, the space was allocated for cultivation only. Hence, the wrath of Kotokos who feel aggrieved in the division.

Since 2009, the different communities, settled around the Company site to expand the modernization of Yagoua (SEMRY) rice, have regularly been involved in clashes for control of this area.

In July 2014, six people were killed during a brawl between the Massa, Kotoko and Mousgoum communities.