China Railway was excluded by the project owner for non-compliance with socio-environmental standards
In Cameroon, the Chinese China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation (CR20) is blowing hot and cold. The local authorities have in fact decided to suspend the activities of this subsidiary of the China Railway Construction Corporation (Crcc) group on the construction site of national road No. 15, linking the localities of Ntui and Ndjolé in the Center region. The measure taken by the Cameroonian Minister of Public Works (Mintp) was officially announced during the review of the project, carried out on April 19 in Yaoundé.
Contrasted developments in the work
Although he appreciates the rate of physical progress of the work on this 60 km line, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, the project owner of this road site, denounces in particular a contrasting evolution of the work on the ground with a deleterious climate between the company and its staff. The observation is made on the basis of reports carried out by the Cira S.A group, the company responsible for monitoring the work on the site. According to the government member, China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation does not always comply with the standards prescribed in the project’s environmental and social management plan.
Thus, we learn, the works formally suspended on the ground display to date an execution rate estimated at 58% with 69.2% of roadworks and 79.62% of drainage, sanitation and protection works carried out along of the main route. “Only the work relating to the maintenance of traffic on municipal roads and the protection of work already carried out on national road No. 15 justifies the instructions formulated by the Minister of Public Works to the company and which boil down to the recruitment of an expert in security issues on the site and the immediate contracting of all staff,” explains a source at the ministry.
Deaths and unfair dismissals
However, before the Cameroonian government’s decision, the company CR20 was notified of the decision of its technical and financial partner to suspend disbursements and to suspend work for “non-compliance with environmental and social obligations and requirements” on 18 April 2024. “This notification follows a fatal accident that occurred a few weeks ago, unfair dismissals of staff and recorded environmental non-compliance,” insists the Mintp. The work on this project is jointly financed by the State of Cameroon, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Development Bank of Central African States (Bdeac).
It should be remembered that this is not the first time that CR20 has encountered difficulties on this road site. On the Ndjolé-Mankim section, the Chinese saw its contract terminated in 2023 for the benefit of its fellow citizen Sinohydro. In its entirety, the project aims to build, at a cost of 29.7 billion CFA francs, 60 km of bituminous road including a 30cm foundation layer of lateritic gravel; a 20cm base layer of crushed gravel and a 5cm wearing course of bituminous concrete and shoulders. In addition to these road works, there is the construction of 292 passages of hydraulic structures and an 80 linear meter engineering structure, related works on the municipal sections which are: Salakounou – Mbongue (4.1km); Ossombé – Bianguélé (9.5km); Ndimi – Ndalena (18.1km); Yalongo-Bikong (13.2km); Kombébengué – Meloko (10km); Nguila – Yopcka (6.7km) and Issandja – Mimfoumbé (10.4km). The project is part of the Phase 1 Transport Sector Support Program, entitled Development works on the Batchenga – Ntui – Mankim – Yoko – Lena road, on national road No. 15.
