Cameroon: French court backs Douala port in Bolloré dispute

On June 19, the Court of Cassation in Paris ruled in favor of the Port of Douala (PAD) in its dispute with the French group Bolloré over container terminal concessions.

The court overturned a previous decision by the Paris Chamber of Commerce, which had ordered the port to pay €58.6 million to a Bolloré subsidiary that lost a bid for the concession.

This marks a major victory for the Port of Douala in a five-year legal battle against Douala International Terminal (DIT), formerly a Bolloré subsidiary now owned by MSC Group. DIT had sued the port after losing the contract renewal for the container terminal.

Bolloré and its partner, APMT, had managed the terminal for 15 years and claimed the bidding process was unfair.

In early 2019, DIT sought arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. In November 2020, the chamber ordered the port to pay €58.6 million to DIT for damages.

The French Court of Cassation recently overturned this decision due to irregularities in the arbitration tribunal, including collusion between a judge and a Bolloré lawyer. However, DIT believes the ruling is procedural and not yet final, indicating the case continues.