Transporters bring traffic to standstill; passengers stranded for days as tensions mount over police brutality and political demands
MEIGANGA/GAROUA BOULAI – Cameroon’s critical northern transport corridors remain at a standstill for the fourth consecutive day as truck drivers mount an escalating protest that has trapped hundreds of passengers, paralyzed commerce, and exposed deep fractures between transporters, security forces, and government authorities.
The Spark That Ignited a Crisis
The Ngaoundéré-Meiganga highway has been completely blocked since 4 a.m. following a confrontation between a gendarme officer and a commercial transporter According to eyewitness accounts, the incident began when the officer allegedly demanded a bribe from a transporter; when the driver refused, the gendarme is said to have slapped him
The physical assault proved to be the breaking point for drivers who say they have endured years of harassment and extortion at security checkpoints along the nation’s highways. The act sparked immediate outrage among fellow transporters, who mobilized in solidarity and blocked the road in protest
Passengers Pay the Price
At the exit of the city of Meiganga, a massive protest movement by truck drivers completely halted traffic, leaving goods, passengers, students, and transporters stranded for several hours. What began as hours has stretched into days, with hundreds of travelers trapped, their activities and movements suspended, as frustration mounts hour by hour.
Among those caught in the standstill is the delegation from the University of Maroua, which has been en route since the previous day to Yaoundé to participate in the 11th edition of the UNIFAC University Games, scheduled for December 5-9, 2025 After more than 24 hours of travel, the buses carrying the students were forced to stop abruptly at the entrance to Meiganga.
Passengers remain stranded, with transporters insisting the road will stay closed until authorities intervene and the matter is addressed Sources on the ground describe growing desperation among travelers lacking adequate food and water supplies, with some forced to sleep in their vehicles or along the roadside as the crisis drags on.
Grievances Run Deep
The Meiganga incident has crystalmorale long-simmering frustrations within Cameroon’s transport sector. Many drivers regularly denounce what they describe as harassment, hassles, and extortion at certain checkpoints, eroding their income and morale.
Transport industry representatives describe a pervasive system of unofficial payments demanded by security personnel at numerous checkpoints along major routes. These so-called “road settlements” have become a significant burden on professional drivers’ earnings and represent what many see as institutionalized corruption.
Political Dimension
The road blockage has moved beyond simple sectoral protest and transformed into a movement with clear political demands. The barricades, consisting of heavy trucks immobilized across the roadway, are being held firmly, with demonstrators hardening their position and now demanding the release of detainees arrested in the context of recent post-electoral tensions in the country.
This political dimension adds a sensitive layer to the conflict, making negotiations with authorities particularly complex. The demand adds a politically sensitive dimension to the conflict, rendering negotiations with the authorities particularly complex.
Military Response and Standoff
Despite repeated interventions by security forces, notably military personnel, at the beginning and end of each day, no progress is in sight; the road remains impassable, frozen in an impasse
In a dramatic confrontation, gendarmes were forced to dismantle their own checkpoint under pressure from angry truck drivers who used their heavy vehicles to physically block the road. The incident represents an extraordinary reversal of power dynamics between law enforcement and civilian protesters.
While the Meiganga route has since reopened to traffic, the atmosphere in the region remains electric. Local authorities, including the Prefect of Mbéré, accompanied by law enforcement officials, have been working since 2:00 AM Friday to defuse tensions and restore traffic flow, with negotiations ongoing with truck driver representatives MMI News .
Parallel Crisis at Garoua Boulai
In a separate but equalNovember.us situation, several hundred truck drivers remain stranded at the Garoua Boulai border crossing in the East Region after refusing to resume shipments to the Central African Republic following the killing of a Cameroonian driver and the abduction of at least two mechanics by armed groups in late November
The drivers, who transport approximately 95% of goods and humanitarian aid to the landlocked Central African Republic through the Douala-Bangui corridor, are demanding the immediate release of their kidnapped colleagues and security guarantees before resuming operations .
Government Scrambles for Solutions
Cameroon’s Transport Minister, Jean Ernest Messena Ngale Bibehe, announced that negotiations have continued for drivers to suspend their protest, assuring them that C.A.R. officials have agreed to protect trucks daily and free of charge from Garoua-Boulai to Bangui and back.
However, transporters at Garoua Boulai remain deeply skeptical of these assurances. A crisis meeting held Wednesday between top Cameroon and Central African Republic government and military officials failed to convince drivers to fully resume operations, highlighting the depth of their security concerns.
Economic Toll Mounting
The impact of the blockages extends far beyond inconvenienced travelers. Some cargoes risk deterioration, leading to considerable financial losses for traders and transporters, with some drivers warning of imminent price increases fueled by supply shortages.
The Douala-Bangui corridor alone represents massive economic stakes, with Cameroon’s customs authority estimating nearly CFA55 billion ($89 million) worth of goods transit annually via the route, cementing Douala and Kribi as the CAR’s main gateways.
A Reckoning on Road Governance
The incident represents what many see as a collective, spontaneous protest against longstanding practices at security checkpoints. The confrontation highlights the sometimes explosive tensions between certain law enforcement units and transporters, raising questions about sector regulation and mutual respect along transit routes.
The absence of a “green light” for circulation, on the fourth day, underscores the depth of the crisis and the determination of the protesters. The Ngaoundéré-Meiganga road has become the silent theater of a tense wait, where each passing hour adds to the economic and social toll of this movement.
As negotiations continue on multiple fronts, the standoffs underscore the complex challenges facing Cameroon’s vital transport sector: balancing security needs with professional dignity, ensuring safe passage along corridors plagued by both official checkpoints and armed groups operating beyond state control, and addressing the humanitarian needs of civilians caught in the crossfire of these disputes.
For now, hundreds remain stranded with dwindling supplies, awaiting resolution to crises that have transformed routine journeys into extended ordeals of uncertainty and deprivation.
