After 17 years of land dispute, the Minister of Domains, Land Registry and Land Affairs has cancelled the final concession granted to the DJEUGA Palace Hotel Company in Douala. This decision puts an end to a long-running conflict over land located in the heart of the city, historically integrated into the railway domain.
The dispute concerns a plot of land that was formerly part of the ex-REGIFERCAM (National Railway Authority of Cameroon), dissolved by decree in 1999. Its assets were divided between the liquidation and the concessionaire of the railway activity, CAMRAIL. The plot in question, subject of land title n°318/WA, housed warehouses erected by the former REGIFERCAM. A demarcation report in 2006 established an area of 1 hectare 07 ares 04 centiares.
According to available information, an initial Domains administration had classified the site as a dependency of the 2nd category national domain, allowing a provisional concession to DJEUGA Palace. The creditors of the ex-REGIFERCAM contested this classification, arguing that the land could not be considered free due to the existing railway infrastructure. An area of 5,314 m² had been provisionally allocated for 26,570,000 FCFA by decree of April 25, 2008. The old warehouses were destroyed in June 2008.
In the context of preparations for continental football competitions, a second administration granted a final concession to the hotel company by decree of June 18, 2016. The area had been increased to 5,972.3 m², at a cost of 29,861,000 FCFA. However, an investigation revealed that DJEUGA Palace actually occupied 1 hectare 07 ares 04 centiares, i.e. the entire initial area, estimated at 10 billion FCFA.
The Minister of Domains justified the withdrawal of the final concession by the non-respect of the laws and regulations in force, stressing that fraud does not give rise to any compensation. The ATOU S.A. Consulting Firm, representing the creditors of the ex-REGIFERCAM, welcomed this decision as a rigorous application of the law.
The minister's decision puts an end to a long-running dispute and raises questions about the management of the assets of the former REGIFERCAM. The case underscores the importance of complying with legal procedures in land transactions in Cameroon.
