Kribi, once a peaceful seaside resort popular with tourists and investors, is now facing a series of violent acts that are spreading terror among its inhabitants. In just a few days, the Ocean department has been the scene of macabre events, with murders of chilling savagery.
February 25 will remain a dark day in memory. Two high school students from the Lycée Bilingue Rural de Kribi were found dead, their bodies naked and abandoned in a thicket in Kribi Kienké. The advanced state of decomposition of the bodies testifies to the time elapsed before the macabre discovery.
The wave of violence was not limited to the outskirts of the high school. A young motorcycle taxi driver was found with his throat slit, his throat cut with frightening coldness. His work tool, the sole source of income, disappeared with his attackers. In a city where motorcycle transport is essential for many families, each driver now scrutinizes his rearview mirror with apprehension.
An elderly woman miraculously survived a similar attack thanks to the timely intervention of a machine from Socapalm, a local agro-industrial company. The attackers fled, leaving behind a traumatized but alive victim. This incident only heightened the climate of fear that reigns in the city.
Psychosis has gripped all districts of Kribi. Residents live in constant fear, parents hesitate to let their children out, and workers return home before nightfall. The seaside town, once a haven of peace, has become an open-air prison, where every shadow is suspicious and every noise causes a start.
Faced with this emergency, all eyes are on the Prefect of the Ocean, Bouba Haman, in office since August 2025. Described as dynamic, he promises to track down and punish the culprits. However, the population, tired of promises, is demanding concrete, immediate and visible actions. The gendarmerie services are mobilized and investigations are underway, but no arrests have yet been announced. This silence from the authorities fuels the frustration and impatience of the victims' families, as well as the entire population, who long to know the names and faces of the perpetrators.
Beyond the security issue, the economic impact of this crisis is worrying. Kribi, with its deep-water port, its industries and its tourism potential, attracts foreign investment. However, this wave of crime risks compromising the attractiveness of the city. The tourism sector, once flourishing thanks to its hotels, beaches and the Lobé waterfalls, is particularly threatened. Tour operators may hesitate to promote the destination, and tourists, both national and international, may turn away from Kribi.
These acts of violence raise fundamental questions about the protection of youth and security in schools. Civil society is organizing and denouncing a failure of security arrangements, calling for the creation of a special investigation unit. Fear has profoundly changed the habits of the inhabitants, who are adapting to insecurity by modifying their behavior.
Until justice is done, psychosis will continue to gnaw at Kribi. The question of the city's security remains open, and residents live in anticipation of a return to normal.
