In Cameroon, the families of the victims of the land collapse that occurred in Mbankolo in Yaoundé on October 8, 2023 are impatiently waiting to be able to bury their loved ones. After the emotion aroused by this tragedy and its media coverage, the authorities have not yet rehoused the victims who lost their homes.
After the torrential rains which caused the landslide, 29 bodies were identified and are still at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Meanwhile, civil society organization Mandela Center International is offering free legal assistance to victims and preparing to take legal action if reparations are not obtained.
According to Jean-Claude Fogno, executive secretary of the NGO Mandela Center International, this catastrophe could have been avoided. Indeed, cracks had been observed a few weeks before the collapse of the dike, but no measures had been taken. In addition, this hundred-year-old dike had been built during German colonization and the area was declared unbuildable.
Following this tragedy, the Minister of Domains, Cadastre and Land Affairs suspended land titles and five senior executives from his ministry, suggesting possible complicity of state agents in the installation of people in a prohibited area. .
The NGO Mandela Center International calls on the State of Cameroon to support the victims of Mbankolo. The prefect of the Mfoundi department, Emmanuel Mariel Djikdent, ensures that the State is doing everything possible to take care of the injured and contribute to the organization of funerals. The arrangements for rehousing the victims are also being finalized.
However, while waiting for a more concrete response from the authorities, the families of the victims are facing a precarious situation and are coping as best they can.
It is essential that the State of Cameroon assumes its responsibilities and provides appropriate support to the victims of Mbankolo. It is also necessary to take measures to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future, by strengthening controls and maintenance of infrastructure to ensure the safety of the population.