struggling road between Douala and Bafoussam

Cameroon’s economic lifeline, National Road 5, connecting the bustling port city of Douala to Bafoussam—and onward to Bamenda in the Northwest region—has become a death trap. Once a smooth artery for trade and travel, the road now bears the scars of neglect: gaping potholes, eroded asphalt, and a grim reputation for fatal accidents.

The deterioration stems from relentless heavy traffic, chronic underinvestment in maintenance, and increasingly violent seasonal rains. These downpours accelerate erosion, turning stretches of the highway into hazardous obstacles where vehicles risk being swallowed by mud or plunged into sinkholes.

A journey of suffering

Travelers boarding buses from Douala to Bafoussam face an ordeal that can last up to ten hours—triple the usual duration. Once smooth roads now resemble a lunar landscape, with waterlogged sections forcing drivers onto dangerous detours. Alice, a passenger on one such journey, shared her harrowing experience:

« We left Bafoussam 14 hours ago and are still nowhere near Douala. The main road is completely impassable in the Haut-Nkam area. We had to take a detour via Yaoundé, even though our destination is Douala, and then cut through Bagangté to rejoin the national route. My body aches from exhaustion and the constant jolts.

The deadly triangle: douala, Yaoundé, bafoussam

The region’s rugged terrain, compounded by extreme weather, has earned this corridor the grim moniker “Triangle of Death.” Landslides and flash floods regularly claim lives; the November 2024 collapse of a cliff near Dschang, which buried buses and cars, claimed 14 victims. Reports suggest nearly 100 road-related fatalities occur monthly along this route.

One anonymous traveler summed up the collective frustration:

« I arrived in Bafoussam at 2 a.m. It was a nightmare. If agencies rerouted trips via National 3 to Yaoundé and then took National 6, passengers would pay more—but at least they wouldn’t spend 10 or 11 hours on National 5 only to arrive in pieces.

Promises vs. reality

In response to public outrage, authorities have earmarked 180 billion Central African francs for repairs. Yet drivers like transporter Mika Séma remain skeptical.

« Tolls are supposed to fund road upkeep. How can we justify paying for a road that’s falling apart? Cameroonians need action—not just announcements. It’s time to fix this.

With climate patterns intensifying and no large-scale intervention in sight, the Douala–Bafoussam corridor remains a ticking time bomb for Cameroon’s transport crisis.

By Mariama Hamani — Analyst