As a result of determined government efforts, locals of the border town with the Central African Republic now go about their normal business unhindered by CAR Séléka rebels.
Unlike in the past, calm and serenity now reign in Garoua Boulai in Lom and Djerem Division of the East Region, right on the border with the Central African Republic, CAR.
According to the Divisional Officer for Garoua Boulai Subdivision, Viyen Jam Lawrence, the security situation in Garoua Boulai – located 250 km from Bertoua, capital of the East Region - has improved significantly in the recent past.
He points out that gone are those days when Séléka CAR rebels made life difficult for the people by regularly lobbing mortar shells into the town or raiding it almost at will. These days, even goods lorries plying the Garoua Boulai-Bangui highway, have little or no security challenges.
In order to boost security in the town and along the border with CAR, government has increased the number of gendarmerie and army posts in the subdivision from 8 to 13, explains the Divisional Officer. The town also boasts a permanent military base since 2013.
Just on the CAR side of the checkpoint at the end of the town, the country’s regular government troops and security forces monitor all entries and exits. Séléka militiamen who used to hold sway in this part of the country have since been flushed out.
This is partly thanks to the presence of Bangladeshi UN MINUSCA troops and their armoured cars and patrol pick-up vans stationed at the checkpoint. Some 150 km deep inside CAR territory, the Bangladeshi Infantry Battalion keeps the peace in the town of Bouar and right down to the border with Cameroon.
Back in Garoua Boulai town, homes along the street leading to the border post and inside the neighbourhood formerly called ‘buffer zone,’ have all been demolished to leave no hiding place for CAR insurgents or any further infiltrations into Cameroonian territory.
The area is now a wide expanse of empty land, providing a good view to the border to Cameroonian security forces. Also inside the town, police and gendarmes carry out joint patrols – just in case … They also provide all-round security in the homes of local officials and at their offices. Like the DO explained, “We need to keep up the level of vigilance to prevent any ugly eventuality.”
On the other hand, business now booms inside Garoua Boulai town. Hundreds of shop, restaurant, ‘soya’ spot and other business owners now go about their trades in tranquility. Truck drivers travelling to CAR or further up to northern Cameroon and beyond, no longer fear for their safety.
This is evident to any visitor to the town as scores of lorries are parked along the main street during the day while drivers rest to continue their trips after.
At the 55-hectare Gado Badzere Refugee Camp that houses over 10,000 Central African Refugees - 75 per cent of them Mbororo tribes people - there is peace and security. The camp is located some 25 km from Garoua Boulai on the Bertoua highway. Here, the United Nations and humanitarian agencies are grateful to the Cameroonian government, local authorities and people for providing the refugees safe haven.
This was evident during the visit on Sunday, February 15, 2015, by Kyung-wha Kang, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA.
A lady who spoke on behalf of refugees recalled how they fled CAR in 2013 in the midst of high incidence of disease, massacres, rape, starvation and living on wild fruits and roots, hiding in bushes, and trekking long distances with gaping wounds before reaching safety in Cameroon.
With tears flowing down her face, the lady said it was thanks to President Paul Biya, his government, regional and local authorities, the UN and aid agencies that they have since returned to quasi-normal life, forgetting the atrocities of the recent past.
