In Yaounde, preparations for Pope Francis' visit in three weeks are being disrupted by a power struggle between the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Célestine Ketcha Courtes, and the Mayor of the city, Luc Messi Atangana. At the heart of this dispute is the Madagascar Road - Cité Verte section, a strategic route that the Pope is scheduled to use.
Initially, the completion of this road was scheduled for May 17, 2026, but Mayor Atangana had already granted a two-month extension. Faced with the initial company's inability to meet this new deadline, Minister Ketcha Courtes appointed another company to ensure the work was carried out urgently. This initiative was seen as interference by the town hall, which claims its right to oversee work carried out on public land.
Agents of the Yaounde Urban Community (CUY) intervened on the site, even arresting and detaining workers from the new company. The Minister denounced organized sabotage, while the town hall justified its action on the grounds of public safety concerns, invoking the broad policing powers conferred on them by decentralization.
This blockage highlights a deeper institutional conflict. On the one hand, the Ministry of Housing insists on the need to ensure State protocol and security for the Papal visit. On the other, the town hall defends its autonomy in the management of local affairs. The town hall's refusal to recognize the alternative solution proposed by the Minister reveals a struggle for control of the capital's image.
The current situation threatens to undermine the smooth running of the Papal visit. If the work is not completed quickly, the State protocol could be forced to change the Pope's route at the last minute, which would constitute a logistical humiliation and a security risk. Beyond this one-off event, this conflict underscores an institutional fragility, where a mayor can block a priority project ordered by a minister, thereby undermining the land development policy and potentially discouraging investors.
The question is who will pay the political price for this blockage, as the eyes of the world will be on Yaounde. The issue goes beyond the simple construction of a road; it is about the State's ability to ensure the continuity of public services and maintain its credibility in the face of international commitments.
