The stretch of road linking Maroua -Mora-Dabanga and Kousseri in Far North Cameroon, has become a nightmare to local residents. The few Cameroonians who are still braving the odds to travel the lane have described it as “the worst road in the world”.

Others who can afford it. say they prefer traveling to Kousseri through N’Djamena. Many who use this means, claim the distance is shorter and journey quite smooth.

According to official sources,  repeated boko haram attacks in the locality had scared away Chinese workers, who were in charge of constructing the road. It would be recalled that at least ten Chinese workers were kidnapped from a camp in Waza by suspected Boko Haram rebels in 2014. Despite their release in October, the assault left the Chinese road contractors too frightened to return.

Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi,  Cameroon’s then Public Works Minister, said the government had to fall back on local military engineers after finding it difficult to convince the Chinese contractors to return.

Speaking to Journal du Cameroun, many business persons around Dibanga, say they hope military contractors will finish construction works before the rains come. Going by them, during the rainy season, trucks and vehicles are   stranded in the mud and women were refused rides because they are not seen to be strong enough to push the vehicles.”For now, we just have the bad roads, dust, and insecurity but vehicles still struggle to go through. During the rainy season, it is a different a ball game”. Hamad, a Dibanga cattle rancher said.