Yaounde-Douala Highway: Calm returns in Lobo

After six days of protest, calm has returned in Lobo and work on the Yaounde-Douala highway has continued.

Local residents had earlier blocked the road with pieces of wood and stones to stop the Chinese company responsible for executing the construction works of the Yaounde-Douala highway, during a protest on December 17.

The reason given by the villagers was the delay in the compensation process.

Roger Koa, a farmer and inhabitant of Lobo, was among those waiting to receive compensation from the beginning of construction of the Douala-Yaounde highway about two years.

His house would be destroyed for work to continue in that area. "I lived here in this house with my two children and my wife. My cocoa plantations are gone; I have not been able to enroll my children in school since last September. We have decided to block the work because the authorities did not fulfill their commitments. In a few months, my home will be destroyed and I do not know where I'll live. For over two years we have expected the money, but nothing has been done so far." Roger Koa testified.

We have more land

In recent days, many residents of Lobo said they also interrupted their agricultural activities to show their discontent. The barriers were erected in front of the three bases occupied by the Chinese company.

"We decided, this time, to get tough because authorities do not want to listen. Every time some ministers come here to tell us that the files have been pushed forward. When they go back, our ordeal starts all over again," said Emerentine Oyo'o, a farmer in Lobo.

Lobo populations said they do not enjoy their land as they used to. "I had a cocoa plantation of about two hectares, two cassava fields, and several fruit trees. Today I have nothing. We do not even know where to get water because the yards have engulfed our waterways. Finding a good drinking water remains an ordeal for us. The Chinese company was asked to supply us with drinking water but since we took over the strike, the company has suspended the delivery of our water," said one resident.

Yesterday, between the locality of Komkadack and Nkolmeyang, sites which were yet to be worked on were abandoned. The only thing one could see were trucks and excavators belonging to the Chinese company.

In short, the work was almost at a standstill. According to the protesters, the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO of the Lékié Division was down last Wednesday at the barricaded sites but failed to calm the anger of the demonstrators.

"Whenever the authorities ask us to wait, we do so while work continues. We want to ensure that, this time we are paid, otherwise the work will not continue," the locals said.

A strike suspended

Yesterday at about 16h, more than 300 people gathered at a place called Nkolmeyang, where there was one of the barricades erected by protesters.

This group of people were to listen to a delegation from Yaounde whose mission was to convince people to remove their barricades so that work continues normally.

The delegation consisted of Benoit Ndong Soumhet, Senator and also higher chief of Mvognam, Jean Mama, Professor Vincent Ntuda Ebode and municipal and administrative authorities of Lobo.

At around 16:30, the barricades were removed in the presence of personalities from Yaounde. According to information obtained on site, the compensation process could begin as early as next January.