Douala I traders and municipal police clash, one dead

Jean Marc Ekoa Mbarga, D.O for Douala I subdivision in the Littoral region, Wednesday Jan. 28 descended to Rue Jamo in Akwa to calm flaring tempers of traders engaged in street protest with placards denouncing the death of one of theirs, Siage Cedrick, popularly known as “Le Voyageur” following clashes with municipal police of the Douala City Council on Jan 27.

The municipal police were on a campaign to enforce order given to the traders to vacate public spaces they had occupied at Rue Jamo. After the City Council’s deadline of Jan. 15 for the traders to quit the area, they were still occupying it.

The police proceeded with seizure of goods belonging to traders arguing that their businesses were encroaching into the road. When the traders protested, the whole thing escalated into violence. Not even the intervention of other security forces helped the tension.

In the course of the clash that saw the traders throwing sticks and stones at the municipal police, several people suffered severe injuries. Siage Cedrick, alleged to have been tortured by the police succumbed to unconsciousness and was later rushed to hospital where he gave up the ghost an hour later.

The news of his death was greeted with bitterness by the traders who closed up shops to mobilize for a bigger protest the following day – Jan. 28, asking in placards “we want nothing but justice.”

The Divisional Officer for Douala I in the company of uniform officers intervened to calm the flaring tempers promising the traders that the situation was being investigated. He also promised the administration was going to organise the funeral of Cedrick and also take care of those who sustained injuries during the skirmish.

The action of the city council and the municipal police has been highly criticized as it is said that these traders pay taxes and more to that, the council would have adopted a more tactical approach to send them away from the Rue Jamot location.