Cameroon and Chad have taken a significant step in their economic collaboration by signing a protocol agreement on May 14, 2026, in N'Djamena, aimed at improving the transit of goods on the Douala–Kribi/N'Djamena corridor. This signing took place on the sidelines of the 5th edition of the Chad–Cameroon–CAR tripartite forum, which opened on May 11 in the Chadian capital, highlighting the facilitation of transit on the trans-Cameroonian corridor. Auguste Mbappe Penda, Director General of the Cameroon National Shippers' Council (CNSC), and Hamid Djoumino, his counterpart from the Chadian Shippers' Council (COC-Chad), signed this crucial document.
The main objective of this agreement is to transform the corridor linking the Cameroonian ports of Douala and Kribi to N'Djamena into a more competitive logistics route for sub-regional trade. To achieve this, the protocol includes several key measures, including the interconnection of information systems, rigorous electronic tracking of cargo, simplification of often complex transit formalities, and the establishment of a common digital platform. This platform will be dedicated to real-time monitoring of operations and efficient processing of complaints from economic operators, thus offering greater transparency and responsiveness.
Beyond the mere declaration of intent, this agreement responds to a pressing operational need. The Cameroonian and Chadian authorities are actively seeking to reduce administrative delays, redundant controls, and irregular practices that hinder the smooth flow of goods on this vital axis. For shippers, carriers, and freight forwarders, the effectiveness of this protocol will be measured by its ability to accelerate transit times, improve cargo traceability, and reduce the costs associated with passage between Cameroonian ports and the Chadian market. The logistical challenges and harassment encountered on this corridor are regularly highlighted in the Cameroonian economic press.
For Chad, a landlocked country, the Cameroonian corridor is of paramount strategic importance. It represents one of its main accesses to maritime routes via Douala and Kribi. In a context where the competitiveness of logistics chains directly influences the cost of imports and the fluidity of foreign trade operations, this agreement is essential. The tripartite forum in N'Djamena was designed as a space for dialogue to smooth out obstacles to transit on the Cameroonian corridors used by Chad and the Central African Republic.
Cameroon also has a major commercial and budgetary interest in this initiative. Yaoundé wishes to preserve transit traffic that is crucial for its ports, logistics operators, and customs chain. The transit of Chadian goods generates more than 350 billion FCFA in annual revenue for Cameroon, according to Cameroonian customs. This financial windfall justifies the particular attention paid to securing and streamlining the Douala–N'Djamena corridor.
The agreement signed in N'Djamena involves various actors in the logistics chain, including shippers' councils, port authorities, and customs administrations of both countries. The next crucial step will be to translate this cooperation framework into concrete and measurable results for economic operators. Reducing transit times, lowering costs, limiting abusive controls, and improving logistical predictability will be the key indicators of success for this agreement. It is by these improvements that the real economic impact of this initiative can be truly assessed.
More than 80% of Chadian imports transit through Cameroon, making this corridor a strategic trade route for the country's foreign trade. The agreement should help improve assistance mechanisms for transporters and importers using this corridor, according to Hamid Djoumino, Director General of COC-Chad.
