Preparations for Pope Leo XIV's visit to Cameroon, scheduled from April 15th to 18th, 2026, are facing controversy due to delays and institutional roadblocks in Yaounde. A video showing the Minister of Housing and Urban Development (MINHDU), Ketcha Courtes, expressing her anger has surfaced on social media, highlighting existing tensions.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development issued a statement to clarify the situation. The problems are focused on the Madagascar-Cité Verte section, a crucial route that the Pope will use during his visit. The company initially in charge of the work was replaced by Arab Contractors due to failures. However, the deployment of the new company has been hampered by agents of the Yaounde Urban Community (CUY), creating an institutional blockage. The absence of the Mayor of Yaounde at the time of the events only worsened the situation.
Minister Ketcha Courtes' anger, captured in the video, is presented as a reaction to this institutional blockage, and not as a simple loss of control. This incident reveals a tension between the MINHDU, responsible for national urban projects, and the CUY, which has its own powers in the territory of Yaounde. This conflict of jurisdiction, although manageable in normal times, takes on a diplomatic dimension due to the imminence of the papal visit.
The stakes are high: the Madagascar-Cité Verte section must be completed before April 15, 2026, to avoid a negative image of Cameroon on the international stage. In the longer term, this episode raises the issue of coordination between ministries and local authorities on major urban projects. The Pope's visit highlights administrative dysfunctions and governance tensions that require rapid resolution to ensure the smooth running of this major event.
