26/03/2025
INVESTIGATION ABN
Danger on the BAMENDA - NDOP - KUMBO - NDU road
Since the beginning of the armed conflict in the Northwest region of Cameroon, traveling by road to certain departments has become a real ordeal due to armed groups setting up multiple checkpoints on certain sections, making it very difficult for people and goods to circulate.
The divisions of Ndonga Mantung, Bui, and Ngoketundja are the breadbasket of the region, where crops like rice, corn, beans, potatoes, and yams are grown. However, since the presence of armed groups, it has become almost impossible to evacuate products from these areas to Bamenda and other major cities, causing scarcity and inflation in the market.
The BAMENDA - NDU road is very dangerous, and many people have been killed, including a recent incident where an Eneo agent was killed in Bamesing while installing a transformer to help solve the electricity problem. This section of the road, which is part of the Ring Road, seems to have been abandoned by the authorities, leaving room for the criminal activities of armed groups to thrive.
Traveling from BAMENDA to KUMBO now costs 7,000 francs, but you need to budget 20,000 francs for a one-way trip to pay for the multiple checkpoints set up by the Ambazonians, where you need to pay between 1,000 and 5,000 francs, depending on the day.
Since 2017, over 12,000 kidnappings have been recorded on this road, and nearly 1,800 people have been killed. Today, those who want to travel to the Ndonga Mantung division are forced to take the Foumban - Magba route, which takes 8-10 hours traveling, as it is currently the safest route for travelers.
What's happening on the BAMENDA - NDU road? Who has turned this axis into one of the most dangerous roads in Cameroon? I appeal to the administrative and military authorities to take the necessary measures to ensure the circulation of people and goods on this section, which has become the "road of death."
For example, BAMENDA - NDU is approximately 200 km, but there are only 7 gendarmerie checkpoints, spaced at alarming distances, which favors the criminal activities of the Ambazonians. The Ambazonians use most of the curves to set up checkpoints with sentinels placed on both sides, informing them of the arrival of military personnel. Therefore, it is necessary to multiply the checkpoints and increase mixed patrols. To do this, it is necessary to reinforce personnel and logistics to make travel on this road fluid and reduce the dangers.
BAMENDA - NDOP - BUI - NDU... The road of death.