Sub Saharan Africa

There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. For further information and advice see Terrorism Abroad.

 

Incidents of mugging and banditry, often armed, are a serious problem throughout Cameroon. Muggings and robberies have been reported in Douala, Yaounde and other major towns. In the past, there have been attacks in the Mont Febe area of Yaounde; we do not advise going there alone. You should avoid isolated or poorer areas of town (notably in Yaounde, La Briquetterie and Mokolo), take personal security precautions and maintain a high level of vigilance in public places. You should, for example, avoid the streets at night, and as far as possible, go out in the company of others. Ensure that car doors are locked when travelling, avoid wearing jewellery and carry the minimum in cash and valuables with you.

There have been attacks in Yaounde where gangs of armed gunmen have held up entire restaurants or hotels where foreigners are known to be eating or staying. This occurs because foreigners are perceived locally to be wealthy.

There have been reports of criminal gangs and bandits operating in the Douala area. Close and lock all residential doors and windows, including those above ground level, particularly at night. Do not rely on elevation or fly screens for protection. Many expatriate homes up to the eighth floor (Douala) and fourth floor (Yaounde) have been broken into. It is advised that burglar proof bars be installed in rented homes before signing contracts. Identify callers through spyholes before opening doors, especially late at night.

Petty theft is common on trains, coaches and in bush taxis.  You should take sensible precautions when using city taxis as most do not comply with basic safety procedures such as seatbelts or general road worthiness.  Many taxis take more passengers and luggage than it is safe to do so. Violent assaults and robberies on taxi passengers are not uncommon. Only use known taxis even during daytime.

Car jackings and robberies, often armed and accompanied by violent acts have occurred along roads close to Cameroon’s eastern border with Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad, as well as in Douala, Yaoundé, Kribi, and Maroua. You should be aware that the long-standing policy of the British Government is not to make substantive concessions to hostage takers. The British Government considers that paying ransoms and releasing prisoners increases the risk of further hostage taking. You should plan your journey carefully and travel in convoy, where possible. Since mobile phone coverage is limited we advise taking a VHF radio or satellite phone.

While there were fewer incidents in 2008, there have in the past been serious incidents of car hijacking and robbery, resulting in deaths, along the Bamenda-Banyo and Bafoussam-Banyo roads in the north-west. Attacks have also occurred on the Bafoussam-Douala and Bafoussam-Yaounde roads.

Foreign visitors and residents in Cameroon are increasingly becoming targets by scam artists. The scams come in many forms, and can pose great financial loss to victims. Scam artists are also targeting individuals in the UK via websites, chat-rooms and by email with the intention of soliciting money from victims. The reasons that the scam artists give for needing cash vary but include posing as legitimate businesses importing items to the UK or posing as British citizens in distress and in immediate need of funds. Cases involving the alleged adoption of children have also been reported. You should be very cautious about sending money or travelling to Cameroon to adopt a child where the information has come from a website or through emails. Cameroon does not have adoption agencies. Many victims are persuaded to part with large amounts of money before they start to suspect anything. Schemes in operation by West African criminal networks are designed to facilitate victims parting with money, known as advance fee or 419 fraud.  For further information on advance fee fraud please see Metropolitan Police Service - Fraud Alert.

If you are concerned about someone who has travelled to Cameroon you should contact the Consular Section of the British High Commission, Yaoundé: (consularenq.yaounde@fco.gov.uk).

For more general information see Victims of Crime Abroad. 

Cameroon Country Profile

 

In February 2008 there was civil unrest and rioting in Douala which spread to some other provinces in the country, including Limbe, Yaoundé, Bamenda and Bafoussam. The riots resulted in a number of civilian deaths and serious injuries.  You should remain abreast of local political conditions and avoid all political rallies, demonstrations and large public gatherings.  

 

You should register with the British High Commission in Yaoundé if you intend to stay longer than one month.

Bakassi: We advise against all travel to the area bordering Nigeria in the region of the Bakassi Peninsula. Cameroon and Nigeria reached an agreement on the future of Bakassi, which was handed from Nigeria to Cameroon on 14 August 2008, but the area and local feelings remain sensitive. There have been a number of armed attacks in the region and on 31 October 2008, a boat was attacked in Cameroonian waters and 10 people were taken hostage. The hostages were subsequently released.

North Cameroon: You should exercise extreme care if travelling to the north of Cameroon by road. The eastern route via Garoua-Boulai and Meiganga involves driving close to the border with CAR. The western route requires travel along the Bamenda-Banyo axis (please see crime section above). The central route via Yoko requires travel on very poorly maintained and largely uninhabited roads and requires passage over a number of bridges in a poor state of repair. There is no fuel on the route. If you must attempt this route, carry plenty of water and sufficient fuel to enable you to turn back if necessary. We advise a satellite phone or VHF radio to summon assistance if required.

Lake Chad: If you intend to visit the Lake Chad area in the Far North Province you should report to the local authorities (the Prefet or Sous-Prefet) on arrival. The local authorities advise visitors to engage a reliable guide, such as those offered by the larger hotels in Maroua.

Travel out of Cameroon: Overland travel out of Cameroon can be difficult. Travel by road north of Maroua is dangerous because of car-jackers. Gendarmerie (rural police) detachments are posted along the road between Maroua and the Chadian border. British High Commission staff travelling north of Maroua only do so after taking appropriate security precautions, including an armed escort.

Lake Nyos: Lake Nyos in the North West Province emitted carbon dioxide which suffocated about 1,700 people in 1986. There were no warning signs that this would happen. There are concerns that this could happen again at any time. There is also a concern that the wall of the dam holding back Lake Nyos is not sufficiently strong. Nearby Lake Mounoun is also saturated with CO2.

Yaoundé-Douala trunk road: We recommend you avoid driving at night in rural areas, particularly on the Yaoundé-Douala trunk road, where accidents are common.

UK driving licences and International Driving Permits may be used on first arrival, but you should obtain a Cameroonian licence as soon as possible after arrival. Holders of a UK driving licence can do this by filling in a form at the Delegation of Transport.

You should ensure that any car you hire is adequately insured, preferably by written confirmation from the insurance company (rather than the car hire firm). If you are hiring a driver and car, you should again ensure that you are not liable for any accident of damage.

Roads in Cameroon are generally in poor condition. Many are badly pot-holed, and street lighting, where it exists, is poor. Pedestrians and stray animals on roads are a frequent hazard. Many vehicles are poorly lit and badly driven.

Roadblocks set up by the police or gendarmerie, are common throughout Cameroon. You may be asked to show your passport, driving licence or vehicle registration documents.  There are regular reports of uniformed members of the security forces stopping motorists on the pretext of minor or non-existent violations of local vehicle regulations in order to extort small bribes. We recommend that you do not pay bribes. Where possible you should request the officer to provide a ticket, detailing alleged offences of violations that can be paid at a local court.

For more general information see our Driving Abroad page.

 

The EU has published a list of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban or restrictions within the community.  You should check the following link to see whether this will affect your travel - European Commission Transport - Air.

 

There are doubts about the reliability and safety of some Cameroonian-registered aircraft operating flights within Cameroon.  British Government employees do not use internal flights in Cameroon unless this is unavoidable.  You should bear this in mind when making your travel plans.

 

For more general information see our Airline Security page.