Douala: Stakeholders intensify calls for zero land evictions in Cameroon.

The appeal was made on Thursday October 15, 2026, at a press conference in Douala by the Platform of Organisations for the Promotion of the Right to Decent Housing in Cameroon, known by its French acronym, PLAFODAL. 

The press conference brought together civil society organisations, government representatives and community stakeholders.

Held under the theme "Access and Preservation of Land Property: What Progress Has Been Made in Securing Vulnerable Occupants?", it was part of the annual Zero Eviction Campaign marking the International Day of Habitat that was observed on October 15, and organised under the AQP3 project, which promotes and protects the right to decent housing in Cameroon.

A conflict "waiting” to explode

The stakeholders present at the press conference outlined the scale of the problem, citing data compiled by civil society actors between 2011 and 2019. 

Land and property disputes, the data indicated, accounted for roughly 63 percent of cases at Courts of First Instance and 70 percent at the appeal level during that period. One speaker compared the situation to a keg of gunpowder placed next to an intense source of heat.

To respond, civil society organisations have offered psychosocial support and legal assistance to victims of forced evictions, strengthened community capacity to defend land rights, and submitted recommendations to decision-makers, including the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure. 

New administrative measures

A major focus of the conference was a set of recent circular letters issued by the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, to improve recognition of customary land rights, analysed by Jean Bertin Kemajou, President of one of the partner organisations of the day called Freedom's Service.

From his analysis, Kemajou explained that, the first, dated February 9, 2024, created the Certificate of Possession of Administratively Recognised Customary Land Rights, CPDFC-AR, effective since March 1, 2024. It certifies that a Consultative Commission has validated an applicant's customary rights over national domain land and involves traditional authorities in the registration process.

The second, dated December 26, 2025 and effective April 1, 2026, requires applicants seeking registration of plots of ten hectares or more to obtain a Letter of Non-Objection from the competent traditional chief, who has ten days to respond. 

“Here, silence is treated as tacit agreement, but applications cannot be processed without the document,” he said.

He went further by adding the third, explaining that it is dated February 20, 2026, and introduced the Attestation of Recognition of Customary Land Rights and the Attestation of Peaceful Enjoyment of Land. The latter is intended for Cameroonians who have peacefully occupied or developed a plot for at least five years. Both are free and aimed at protecting women, young people, persons with disabilities and indigenous populations lacking land titles.

However, despite welcoming the measures, Kemajou cautioned against false expectations. The certificates and attestations, he said, are evidence of occupation, use or recognised customary rights.

“They neither replace a land title nor confer the right to sell or buy land,” he stated, urging vigilance in implementation and accountability among traditional authorities and officials processing applications, and described the circulars as considerable step forward that cannot, on their own, resolve longstanding problems. Hence, he called for comprehensive national land and domain reform.

Communities affected

PLAFODAL spokesperson, Jean Baptiste Bontsebe, pointed at communities reportedly forced out of their settlements, citing the Pk14 neighbourhood in Douala, the Douala International Airport, and Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport. Member, Bogmis Etoo Etienne Aurel, on his part, raised concern over expropriations in which citizens lose property they invested heavily in, alleging that some residents received no compensation and now live in difficult conditions after leaving Douala.

In response, administration and council representatives who answered present, acknowledged the concerns, saying efforts are underway to handle disputes and evictions more effectively. 

They admitted that shortcomings can occur in applying existing procedures, pledged improvements, and urged the public to comply with land administration rules.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3944 of Monday October 19, 2026