Road transport between Cameroon and the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) remains stalled despite a recent crisis meeting aimed at reopening borders sealed by Cameroon due to escalating violence in C.A.R. Hundreds of truck drivers are refusing to cross into C.A.R. until government troops provide protection from rebels.
The truck drivers, who have been stranded in Garoua-Boulai, a town on Cameroon’s eastern border with C.A.R., are demanding guarantees for their safety and security, as well as that of their goods and trucks. They have stopped shipping goods and humanitarian assistance into C.A.R. due to the regular threats they face from armed gangs operating in the area.
One of the stranded truck drivers, Kum Innocent, described the dangers they face, including road barricades, kidnappings, and ransom demands. He also reported that C.A.R. rebels killed a Cameroonian truck driver and abducted two mechanics last month.
The truck drivers are seeking assurances from the C.A.R. government that it will take responsibility for their security and safety. El Hadj Oumarou, head of Cameroon’s land freight transportation bureau, emphasized that the C.A.R. government is responsible for the safety of all civilians in its territory.
