Maroua, the capital of Cameroon’s Far North region, has been practically frozen since early Friday.
Word spread quickly that opposition figure Issa Tchiroma Bakary had urged citizens to observe a nationwide “ghost town” protest. Although his call was meant for a three-day shutdown beginning Monday, residents in Maroua started observing it immediately. Fear has pushed many business owners to keep their stores closed.
“It’s extremely difficult for us traders. We were warned that the market might be set on fire, so we shut our doors,” said merchant Hayatou.
Another trader, Mouhamadou Blama, shared the same frustration.
“This situation is creating huge challenges for us. Because of the shutdown, there are no buyers coming to the market,” he said.
With the fruit and vegetable market forced to close, sellers are watching their goods spoil. Fruit vendor Mahamout explained that he couldn’t sell anything because the market was shut earlier in the day.
“Our products are going bad. We don’t know what to do. These are our only goods, so what are we supposed to do?” he asked.Even though Bakary announced the shutdown from November 3 to 5, Maroua is among several towns that began observing it ahead of schedule.
Merchants like Adboul Aziz say they feel unsafe.“There are over 2,000 shops here, yet we have no security, no police, not even gendarmes. We still have goods stored in the market,” he said.
The shutdown has spilled into other areas as well, including education. Many students are avoiding classes due to threats.
“We are supposed to be around 50 students in my class, but only 20 showed up today. People are scared; moving around is risky,” said student Gringa Dieudonné.
Bakary’s call for a shutdown marks Phase 3 of his protest strategy, signaling a more intense confrontation with authorities in Yaoundé.
