A conflict has erupted between the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Célestine Ketcha Courtes, and the Mayor of Yaoundé, Luc Messi Atangana, regarding the management of rehabilitation works on the Feux Marché Madagascar – Cité Verte road. These tensions arise just weeks before Pope Leo XIV's visit to Cameroon, scheduled for April 2026.
The construction, which was supposed to be completed before the pontiff's arrival, has fallen behind schedule, exacerbating disagreements between the minister and the mayor. The situation reached a critical point when Célestine Ketcha Courtes undertook to supervise the works, an initiative perceived by Luc Messi Atangana as interference in his duties.
According to witnesses, the minister allegedly went to the city hall and forced entry into an office to demand the release of workers. These workers, employed by a company hired by the minister to speed up the work in anticipation of the papal visit, had been arrested on the mayor's orders.
Luc Messi Atangana had initially granted a two-month extension to the company initially in charge of the works, but it failed to meet the deadlines. As Pope Leo XIV's visit approaches, the road remains unfinished and tensions persist between the two officials.
Pope Leo XIV will make a three-day visit to Cameroon from April 15 to 18, 2026, and will travel to Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda. He will meet with political leaders, representatives of civil society and Catholic communities. The program will also include a meeting with students and professors from the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, as well as a peace meeting at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Bamenda.
