Cameroonian security personnel collect waste in conflict zone

Hysacam, the waste management company in Cameroon, is the latest to face the reality of the conflict in the English-speaking regions of the country.

The company has ceased to operate in Bamenda since the beginning of February following destruction of their equipment by separatists.

As a result, the army has stepped in to clear accumulated filth in the city.

We are not here to replace Hysacam. With the prevailing situation, we couldn't continue to see the people suffering from the situation.

“We are not here to replace Hysacam. With the prevailing situation, we couldn’t continue to see the people suffering from the situation’‘, said General Robinson Agha, Commander of the 5th Military region based in Bamenda.

The role by these security personnel did not go unnoticed by the 700,000 inhabitants of the city, who expressed deep concern about their predicaments.

“Even the food we sell here is not good because of the odor from the garbage, it’s not hygienic”, a trader Judith Yengou said.

More than 200 members of the Cameroonian Defence and security forces have lost their lives in this conflict, including over 500 civilians, according to the International Crisis Group Analysis Centre.

The United Nations says 437,000 people have been displaced by the conflict in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon, while more than 32,000 others have fled to neighboring Nigeria.