Nationwide Shutdown Tests Yaoundé’s Control

Field reports gathered by Cameroon Concord show shuttered markets in Mokolo, Yaoundé’s Marché Central, Acacia and Mokolo corridors, as well as Douala’s historic commercial belts, including Parcours Vita, Bonaberi/Ndobo and the Grand Marché axis. In the West, Bafang, Mbouda, Dschang (Marché A and adjoining stalls), Bandjoun and Nkongsamba joined the shutdown, while Ngaoundal’s central market and the Far North’s Maroua quarters were markedly subdued. Long-haul activity collapsed on the Douala–Yaoundé motorway; one lorry driver reportedly lay down on the tarmac in a widely shared image that captured the stillness of the corridor.

The quiet was not uniform. In Mayo Darle, gendarmerie elements moved through trading streets to compel shopkeepers to open; residents resisted by blocking roadways with tires and stones, creating a tense standoff with the risk of ignition. In Banyo, a heavier confrontation unfolded after the préfet moved to seal shops that complied with the ghost-town call. Citizens forced authorities to withdraw; the préfet was struck by a protester before BIR elements exfiltrated him. Anger then shifted to political symbols: the local RDPC house (party headquarters) was set ablaze, and crowds later ransacked the residences of senior regime figures, including Mohamadou Moustapha (Deputy Secretary-General at the Presidency) and his brother, Moustapha Labaran. Residents framed the retaliation as a response to attempts to criminalize peaceful civic protest.

In Yaoundé, the regime sought to demonstrate normality through circulating images of busy streets; several of those visuals were traced by online users to older posts, including 2021 material, further fueling skepticism. On the ground, Mokolo respected the shutdown, and scattered enforcement sweeps by security units continued through peripheral neighborhoods. In Douala, the Littoral police command issued a weekend advisory alleging the presence of armed groups near Camp Yabassi and Bonaberi; traders read the alert as pre-emptive justification for zero-tolerance deployments during the three-day action.

Political theater moved to the National Assembly as UDC deputies staged an opening-day protest, demanding electoral justice and accountability for post-election deaths and detentions. In parallel, pro-government communicators attempted to re-center the narrative around “public order” and “economic recovery,” while administrative authorities and mayors toured markets urging re-opening—efforts that met limited success on Day 1 of the shutdown.

Opposition coordination extended beyond borders. Over the weekend, diaspora marches rolled through Paris (Place de la République), Berlin, Ottawa and Cyprus, denouncing what participants called a stolen mandate and amplifying calls for independent verification of polling-station returns. Organizers framed the ghost towns as a non-violent instrument to pressure institutions for a credible audit and the release of detainees.

The weekend also saw an escalation in personal risk around Issa Tchiroma. After reporting an attempted abduction in Garoua by hooded men, Tchiroma appeared in a short video insisting that “no attempt will succeed” and thanking “loyalist” elements within the forces who, he said, escorted him to safety. His camp repeated that the shutdown would proceed nationwide and urged supporters to remain peaceful, disciplined and vigilant. The claim of “loyalist” protection deepened speculation about fractures inside the security architecture, already strained by the visible divergence between units pressing for re-openings and communities determined to keep shutters down.

Economic ripples are immediate. Fuel logistics have slowed, with transporters reporting blockages that complicate depot replenishment and delays for vessels offshore awaiting discharge windows. Traders across Douala’s Grand Marché and Yaoundé’s central districts cite lost perishables but describe participation in the shutdown as a necessary cost in a broader struggle for political accountability.

The information space remains a battleground. Alongside contested crowd images, lists of detained protesters circulated through Monday, capturing arrests from Douala, Yaoundé and Bertoua. Lawyers and civil society figures continued to document alleged abuses, including night transfers to Yaoundé and harassment of families linked to opposition organizers in Garoua’s Laindé quarter. Meanwhile, pro-government accounts promoted selective scenes of activity to argue that “life has returned to normal,” a claim contradicted by empty stalls and traffic voids recorded throughout the day.

What happens next hinges on two variables: cohesion within command structures and the consistency of civic discipline. If enforcement turns more coercive—compelling openings or sealing compliant shops—the cycle of confrontation seen in Banyo risks replication elsewhere. If, instead, authorities permit a limited civic pause while avoiding provocation, the three-day action may pass with minimum disruption and maximum political signal. Either way, Monday’s silence was loud: Cameroon’s commercial heartlands pressed pause to contest an official narrative they do not trust.

Cameroon Concord will continue to track arrests, courtroom developments, and verified economic indicators through the 72-hour window and beyond. Readers with first-hand, time-stamped visuals from markets named above are encouraged to share securely with our newsroom for verification and archiving. The shutdown resumes Tuesday morning.