Anglophone drivers transporting timber from the Northwest Region to the West Region of Cameroon allege they are victims of harassment, intimidation, and physical violence by gendarmes at a forestry checkpoint at the entrance to Bafoussam. The latest reported incident occurred last Saturday.
According to testimonies, a truck carrying planks was intercepted at the entrance to the West Region. The gendarmes ordered the driver to proceed to a forestry checkpoint for inspection. Once there, the situation reportedly escalated. The driver and his assistant were forcibly removed from the vehicle and allegedly beaten after asking about the nature of their offense.
A female forestry officer who witnessed the scene reportedly attempted to film the incident with her phone, but the gendarmes confiscated the device before returning it to her, a sign of a desire to conceal the incident.
Representatives of the drivers denounce a systematic targeting of Anglophone transporters on this commercial axis. The Northwest/West road is an important artery for the timber trade in Cameroon, and controlling checkpoints is seen as a way to control economic flows.
In the context of the Anglophone crisis that has been shaking Cameroon since 2016, such acts of violence are perceived as ethnic discrimination. The drivers are not only transporting timber, but also a frustration with what they see as marginalization.
The lack of response from the authorities to these incidents fuels distrust. The drivers have launched a public appeal to senior officers to intervene. The silence of the authorities risks being interpreted as an implicit validation of these actions.
If these acts of harassment are confirmed, the entire timber logistics chain in the region could be weakened, with potential consequences on investments, transport and purchases. It remains to be seen whether the Cameroonian State will investigate these incidents or allow this road to become a new dividing line between the two Cameroons.
