Ofure Akhigbe
The city of Maroua, capital of Cameroon’s Far North region, came to a standstill on Friday morning following a call by opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary for a nationwide “ghost town” protest.
Bakary had urged citizens to observe a three-day shutdown from November 3 to 5, but the protest appears to have started early in Maroua, where fear and uncertainty have gripped residents.
Many merchants kept their shops closed, citing threats and lack of security. “It’s very hard for us merchants. We were threatened that the market would be burned, which is why we closed today,” said Hayatou, a trader in the central market.
His concerns were echoed by fellow merchant Mouhamadou Blama, who said the shutdown had crippled business activity. “It’s causing us many problems. There are no clients or buyers who come to do their shopping,” he said.
With the city’s fruit and vegetable market closed, perishable goods are spoiling. “Our goods are starting to rot. We don’t know what to do. All these things are our products — what should we do with them?” lamented fruit seller Mahamout.
The shutdown, merchants say, has also been marked by a lack of police or gendarmerie presence. “There are more than 2,000 shops in the market, but we have no security,” said Abdoul Aziz.
The protest has extended beyond commerce. Many students have stayed away from school, citing safety concerns. “We were supposed to be 50 students in my class, but there were only 20 of us this morning,” said student Gringa Dieudonné. “Going out is complicated, and others are afraid.”
With this call for a “ghost city,” Bakary has launched Phase Three of his protest plan, signalling what could become a prolonged standoff with authorities in Yaoundé.