More than 3000 containers for CAR and Chad stranded at Douala port

About 3000 containers on their way to Central African Republic and Chad are currently blocked at the port of Douala, mainly due to insecurity problems caused by attacks by Nigerian terrorist sect Boko Haram and CAR armed militants.

This situation could lead to congestion as “the port is a transit point and not a place for goods storage” Douala Port Authority (PAD) remarks.

To find a solution to this issue, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Chad’s customs administrations as well as other actors involved in the traffic on the Douala-Bangui and Douala-N’djamena corridors will meet in Cameroon’s economic capital on Wednesday and Thursday to propose solutions to end the crisis.

Experts from the three countries who met on Tuesday in the Cameroonian economic capital have, in terms of proposals to be submitted to the directors general of customs of the affected countries, considered the establishment of dry ports to avoid congestion of the port of Douala.

These dry ports could be created in Douala but also in Edea and Belabo cities in the Littoral and the Eastern areas respectively.

As hinterland countries, CAR and Chad route the main part of their exports and imports through the port of Douala which handles over 80 percent of the traffic of goods to and from both countries.