Douala — Residents of Douala awoke to heavy gunfire on 25 February. Columns of thick black smoke rose over the city as youth burned buses, cars and tires, blocking off major arteries in the city.
There are also reports of widespread of looting.
"We can't leave our homes," a man in Akwa, in the city centre, told IRIN. "I live near a school and can see teachers sending home all students that arrive."
"Rioters are occupying other schools in the area," he said.
At least two dead bodies have arrived at the city morgue with gunshot wounds to the head, a journalist told IRIN.
IRIN also saw people with serious gunshot wounds being carried to a hospital.
The rioting appears to have been sparked off by a taxi strike planned for 25 February. Many people say they are in sympathy with drivers' complaints of rising fuel prices and the cost of living.
IRIN saw no vehicles in the city centre other than those filled with security forces.
Political tensions have been high in recent days with the government attempting to push through constitutional reforms that would remove restrictions on the number of terms that Cameroon's long time leader Paul Biya can be re-elected. He has been in power since 1982
An unauthorised demonstration took place on 23 February in Newtown, a suburb near the airport, at which police reportedly fired tear-gas and water cannons at a crowd of several hundred people. One protestor was killed, according to government officials but eye witnesses said at least one other youth also died.
The following day, Sunday, the city was calm until the evening when gunfire erupted again near the airport.
Then by Monday morning rioting broke out throughout the city.
Accounts of the violence
One of the main bridges to the city has been blocked by burning tires, according to an eyewitness living nearby. "We see smoke everywhere and hear constant gunfire," she said.
The national radio reported that many government buildings were on fire, including a town hall and one of the finance ministry buildings
The main road between Douala and the capital, Yaounde, is blocked by burning tires and IRIN saw a number of petrol stations being looted along that road.
Youth have also reportedly broken into at least one major retail store..
In the city centre IRIN saw large gangs of youths moving through the streets with no the police around. But elsewhere police were seen arbitrarily arresting civilians.
"I saw two people in front of my office being stopped by the police and arrested for no reason," said human rights advocate Madeline Afite, of the Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture.
People catching flights out of the city had to walk to the airport. IRIN saw youth attempt to enter the airport compound. Some appeared to be armed and shooting at the police. Police also appeared to be returning fire.
"I think what is happening is that youth saw recent events in Kenya and are now trying to copy," Mary Mballa, a mother in Newtown told IRIN.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
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The strike now in my country Cameroon is not just about fuel hikes per say, it is the first reaction from a desperate people under the bondage of a dictatorial regime. TOUCH NOT OUR CONSTITUTION MR. BIYA.
It's a pity a blessed country like Cameroon now finds itself in such a desperate situation. The regime in power for over 25 years now has impoverished the people, looted the public treasury, virtually bringing the country to its knees. How can a land endowed with significant natural and human resources be considered a Heavily Indebted Poor Country? Western nations should avoid playing games with millions of people around the world and cut off dealings with dictatorial regimes that stifle their populations flushing them down the abyss of despair. Enough is enough!!!
Cameroon today is going through the "breakest" period of its history. Our internal and external values have been put under jeopardy by the aggressive neo-colonial govrenment of the self declared monarch,Paul Biya.Internally, our norms, traditions,cultures,customs are at the verge of extinction as the monarch wrestles with divinity to destroy our ancestral values in alliance with the (C.P.D.M.) domestic political elites. They are the real enemies of our state. The ruling party is a farce, as its corruption machine have consciously rendered the Cameroonian people miserable and vulnerable to this epidemic of fraud at its best. The economic hardship created by the Biya's agents of this epidemic of fraud and corruption have completly destroyed our daily lives. Life today in our CAMEROON OF YESTERDAY IS A DECLARATION OF WAR ON OUR FAMILIES by the greedy and selfish clique that claims to govern us.In short,our daily lives have been condemned to... i.e.survival of the fittest. Externally,our diplomacy in context and texture, is permanently dead. OUR SOCIETY NEEDS a wholistic transformation from the ashes of the disfunctional regime of emperor Paul Biya.
My beloved fatherland Cameroon is en route to a Kenya-like situation and what i dont understand is why the rest of the world is sitting and folding their hands.I now know that the US who is the self-imposed enforcer of so-to-speak world peace has got no interest in Cameroon otherwise they would have intervened.Now the French who are our so called colonial masters and who have milked us dry of all our resources too are staying apart and watching.I want to know if this so called internatial diplomacy stipulates that the western leaders have a feeling for the president of a country or for its people?
Dear cLovis,
I do not agree with your "cri de detresse", pointing that The US or another country should come and solve our problems say the ongoing riots. I think and I hope Mr Biya, as well as all the so called political leaders in Cameroun could find a solution of that crisis. So let be adult and take care of our domestic matters before it worsen
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