Transport Crisis in Cameroon's Northwest: When Travel Becomes a High-Stakes Gamble

• Transport costs in Cameroon’s North West region have skyrocketed due to prolonged armed conflict, turning travel into a dangerous and unaffordable endeavor.
• Commercial buses have largely been replaced by motorbikes, which are viewed as better for evading militant checkpoints.
• Both government security forces and separatist fighters frequently extort money from commuters at dozens of unpredictable checkpoints.
• Economic activity is collapsing as high transport costs drive up market prices, rot perishable goods, and push civil servants and teachers toward bankruptcy.

Escalating Costs and Risks

• Transport fares for routes like Bamenda–Bafmeng have increased from FCFA 3,000 to as much as FCFA 30,000.
• Drivers refer to the surcharge as "danger money," citing the need for profit to offset the risk of vehicle destruction or loss of life.
• Motorbike riders ('Okada men') charge significantly higher rates than pre-crisis levels, claiming their small vehicles are the only practical way to avoid danger along the roads.

Systematic Road Siege

• Since 2016, the conflict between state forces and armed separatist groups has paralyzed major transport corridors through the Mezam, Ngoketunjia, and Bui divisions.
• Travelers report passing through over 30 checkpoints in a single journey, where they are forced to pay bribes to both soldiers and 'Amba Boys' to ensure passage.
• Bus agencies have ceased operations on high-risk routes after multiple reports of vehicles being set on fire and drivers being killed.

Human and Economic Impact

• Local farmers are losing their livelihoods as the high cost of transport makes it impossible to get crops to market before they spoil, causing food prices in Bamenda to surge.
• Teachers and government employees are specific targets for kidnapping and ransom demands by separatist fighters, who base extortion amounts on salaries and years of service.
• The cost of living has become unsustainable for local families, with some workers spending nearly FCFA 100,000 per month just on commuting, leaving little for basic household needs.