🚨 Cameroon Uses Bulldozers to Clear Trucks Blocking Major Road Between Yaoundé and the North

A major security and transport crisis unfolded this week in Meiganga, where the main highway linking Yaoundé to the Grand North was blocked for days by hundreds of angry truck drivers. The standoff, which brought national traffic to a halt, ended after the government deployed military-operated caterpillars (bulldozers) to forcibly push trucks off the road- destroying dozens of vehicles in the process.

This dramatic intervention has sparked nationwide debate over governance, corruption on the roads, and the economic impact of the blockade and its violent end.

🔎 What Sparked the Blockade?

The crisis began after a gendarme reportedly slapped a truck driver during a routine road inspection for “missing identification.”
The act triggered intense anger among transporters, who say this was the “last straw” in a long history of harassment, extortion, and abusive control points along the route.

In protest, the truck drivers formed a barricade with their trucks, completely blocking one of Cameroon’s most important trade and travel corridors.

🚧 Chaos on the Highway: Thousands Stranded

The blockade quickly created an emergency situation:

  • Hundreds of trucks loaded with goods and perishables were immobilized.

  • Buses and private vehicles were trapped for hours and days.

  • A university delegation travelling to Yaoundé for a sports competition was stranded.

  • Food supplies heading to the Centre and South regions were stuck on the road.

Markets began reporting early signs of shortages as perishables risked spoiling on the highway.

⚠️ Authorities Intervene - But Truckers Stand Firm

Regional authorities, including the governor and local administrators, attempted negotiations.
Two controversial checkpoints were suspended, but drivers refused to lift the blockade, insisting on deeper reforms and an end to harassment.

With tension rising and no breakthrough in sight, the state made a decisive move.

🚨 Overnight Operation: Bulldozers Push Trucks Off the Road

In the early hours of Sunday night, security forces launched a military-style clearance operation.

Bulldozers (caterpillars) were rolled in and used to push the trucks off the road, clearing the blocked national highway by force.

Videos circulating online show:

  • Trucks being shoved into bushes

  • Vehicles overturned

  • Trailers damaged beyond repair

  • Drivers helpless as their livelihoods were destroyed

Witnesses described the scene as “violent” and “devastating.”

Dozens of trucks were reportedly wrecked, crushed, or rendered unusable.

📉 Economic Impact: Supply Chain at Risk

While traffic has now resumed, the consequences may last for weeks:

  • Transport disruptions

  • Temporary food scarcity

  • Increased market prices in many regions

  • Loss of millions of francs worth of goods

  • Long-term distrust between transporters and authorities

Truck owners are already demanding compensation for destroyed vehicles.

🔍 A Broader Issue: Road Corruption and Rising Tensions

This incident has reignited national conversations on:

  • Corruption at road checkpoints

  • Abuse of power by security agents

  • Lack of formal complaint channels for drivers

  • Poor road management and weak governance

Many drivers say the slap was merely “the spark”—the real problem is the daily exploitation happening on Cameroon’s highways.

📝 Conclusion

The forced clearing of the Meiganga roadblock marks one of the most dramatic state interventions in recent years.
Although circulation has returned to normal, the crisis exposed deep systemic issues in Cameroon’s transport sector.

For lasting peace on the roads, the government will need to address corruption, rebuild trust with transporters, and improve regulation and communication.

ATEH will continue monitoring the story as it develops.