by Arison Tamfu, Wang Ze
YAOUNDE, May 19 (Xinhua) -- In Cameroon's West Region, a narrow and steep road near the town of Dschang, connecting the region to the country's commercial hub of Douala, has been a source of despair and agony.
Locally referred to as "La Falaise," meaning "the cliff" in French, the road is also known to locals as the "death path."
"(About) 100 people have died on this road," said Mathias Djoumessi Wamba, traditional leader of Foreke village, where the road is located.
In November last year, at least 11 bodies were recovered after three passenger buses, road equipment, and several workers were buried in a landslide on a steep hill along the cliff road. After the collapse, vehicles could not pass through the road, and people had to make a detour of 110 km from the Littoral Region, where Douala is located, to Dschang.
"All activities on the road halted, negatively affecting socio-economic life," Wamba said.
The Cameroonian government needed an urgent solution and sought the expertise of China First Highway Engineering Co., Ltd. (CFHEC), a Chinese infrastructure engineering company best known for its involvement in road construction projects.
"After receiving the government's rescue mission, the company quickly organized workers and mechanical resources to rush to the landslide site. And it took only one day to open the temporary traffic road, allowing people and vehicles to circulate," said Zheng Haichen, director of the Cameroon Office of CFHEC.
When Xinhua visited the site, a group of Chinese engineers accompanied by local engineers were busy building a new road away from the mountain to prevent a similar disaster in the future. "The total length of the new road is 266 meters," Zheng said.
"When we learned that this project had been awarded to a Chinese company, it was a great satisfaction for us because we know the rigor of their work," said Wamba. "If it's a Chinese company, we're sure this road will be of good quality."
Wamba's sentiments echo those of many Cameroonians who praise Chinese firms for their efficient construction of roads and bridges across the central African country.
In May 2024, Essama Embolo, mayor of Soa, a town located on the outskirts of Yaounde, the national capital, requested CFHEC's assistance in repairing a bridge connecting the northern and southern neighborhoods that had been eroded by heavy rains.
After four days of work, the team successfully completed a new bridge capable of carrying heavy trucks. Embolo sent a special letter of gratitude to the company.
"Chinese companies such as CFHEC are excellent partners. As long as the Cameroonian government needs them, they can work with the government to carry out a series of rescue operations, like a fire-fighting team," said Minister of Public Works Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi.
"From the Nyong River Bridge to the Dschang cliff road, from the National Highway No. 3 to the Douala Municipal Road, Chinese companies always give the government a sense of relief," the minister added.
