Douala port expansion: SDO announces another census of population in project area.

File photo: Ship at the Douala Port

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of Sanaga-Maritime Division, Yvan Cyril Abondo, has announced an additional census for residents affected by the expansion of the Douala Port.

The information is contained in a note signed recently by the administrative authority. 



The SDO, in the note, urges residents of Missolè I in the Sanaga Maritime Division to participate in additional census and property evaluation operations related to the Douala Port expansion project. 

He said the exercise is aimed at regularising the files of residents impacted by the project. The operations, he stated, will run from February 17 to 21 and February 24 to 28, 2025.

The administrative authority in the statement explained that the additional census will include residents whose assets were not initially assessed, particularly those unable to provide identification or proof of land ownership during the first phase of evaluations. 

According to a report on Cameroon Tribune, approximately 50 individuals initially registered failed to provide the required documentation during the earlier census, which was conducted by the Commission for Property Assessment and Evaluation.

The new operations, the report noted, will provide an opportunity for affected residents to ensure their claims are recognised before the project progresses further.

The SDO, however, warned that: “Any further requests regarding this matter will be dismissed or reviewed later through litigation”.

He assured residents that “environmental and social impact studies will be conducted meticulously to identify landowners”. 

The SDO also pledged that compensation would be provided in accordance with official rates established by the state.

According to the note, the new zone is expected to transform the region into a major logistical hub, generating an estimated 500,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Residents argue that while the economic prospects of the project are promising, the initiative remains a problem to many of them who rely particularly on agriculture and fishing as their displacement will lead to the disruptions to their activities.

 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3353 of Wednesday January 29, 2025

 

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