"(Business in Cameroon) - The Garoua-Boulaï-Bangui section has been declared a red zone by the CPC (ed. note: Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement, the rebel group that recently unleashed chaos in the Central African Republic)," Abakar Sabone, spokesman for the CPC, posted (in French) on his Facebook wall on January 18, 2021. This shows the rebel group’s determination to create a blockade around Bangui, the Central African republic’s capital.

The same day, they attacked Cameroonian truckers, killing two of them who crossed the Cameroon-CAR border from the Cameroonian town of Garoua-Boulaï (where more than 1,000 truckers were parked fearing the insecurity in CAR).

Yet, days ago, the Central African republic’s Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada had promised that traffic would resume (on January 12, 2021) with escorts and air support to protect each convoy.

From the look of things, it appears that the rebels are oblivious of the security measures and the murder of the two Cameroonian truckers has revived fear among the remaining transporters who are used to the Douala-Bangui corridor, where XAF55 billion worth of goods transit to the Central African Republic (according to figures from Cameroon authorities).

BRM