Cameroon: a first funding announced for the Douala-Bangui road corridor

This corridor is the main supply route for the Central African Republic from the port of Douala. According to data provided by the World Bank, 80% of the goods destined for the Central African Republic and 70% of those transported to Chad currently pass through this route, whose degraded condition significantly slows down exchanges.

The project notably includes the modernization and automation of the weighing operations for heavy trucks. A pre-selection device installed directly on the road will direct vehicles suspected of being overloaded to control stations, while any fines will be recorded and receipts printed automatically, according to Donnat Takueté, Director General of Studies at the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Works.

The journey between Douala and Bangui, which is about 1,400 kilometers apart, currently takes between nine and twelve days. The difficulties related to the condition of the roads are compounded by administrative formalities and the increased number of checks, with 17 informal checkpoints reported by the World Bank.

Funding distributed among several actors

The first phase of funding will primarily be devoted to Cameroon, which will receive $425 million. The Central African Republic will receive $90 million, while the Central African Economic and Monetary Community will benefit from regional support aimed at preparing the next stages of the project.

“For the first phase of funding, Cameroon will benefit from an amount of $425 million. The Central African Republic will also receive $90 million,” explained Anne-Cécile Souhaid, Director of the West and Central Africa regional division of the World Bank.

Within Cameroonian territory, the program includes the reconstruction of certain axes and the rehabilitation of other sections to facilitate the transport of goods to the Central African border. It notably includes the reconstruction of the Yaoundé-Douala road over 215 kilometers, as well as the rehabilitation of the Yaoundé-Bonis-Ayos section, which is 332 kilometers long, and Bonis-Bertoua.

The Cameroonian Ministry of Public Works presents this upgrading program as a project aimed at addressing the growing needs of the regional economy. The development of the corridor is expected to stretch over several years and could generate between 2,000 and 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The project also aims to reduce transport times and improve the flow of goods between the landlocked countries of Central Africa and the port of Douala. The World Bank is set to support the authorities in subsequent phases to gradually strengthen the entire connection up to Bangui.