Cameroon's road control jam-packed with official highway robbers in uniform

The National Gendarmerie claimed recently to have intensified efforts to ensure safety on highways in Cameroon. But a recent video has revealed that the continuation of the “Operation Control-Monitor-Punish has instead been a source of extorting money from drivers and other road users. 

In this video, officers could be seen taking bribe from drivers at a control point at Santa, Mezam Division. The officers were boldly sharing the fruits of their standing in the sun amongst themselves.

In 1998, the Roman Catholic Bishops of Cameroon stated that corruption has attained a suicidal level in the country.

Today, it has culminated to being a normal way of life - those who practice it no longer feel the slightest guilt – their consciences are sealed.

Cameroon's police/gendermarie is inefficient, poorly trained and plagued by corruption. Bribery is widespread among the police and officers often demand payments at checkpoints as you can watch in this video, and in exchange for granting unlawful freedom to detainees (HRR 2016). Further, corrupt police officials arrest and abuse individuals in exchange for monetary rewards from influential entities and individuals (HRR 2016).

Over half of Cameroonians consider the police to be corrupt (GCB 2015). The government took some steps to hold officers accountable for abuse of functions, yet impunity remained widespread in the institution (HRR 2016). Cameroonian police cannot be relied upon to enforce law and order.