Tension is rising in Bamenda following a dispute between the Bamenda City Council and the Bamenda One Council over the control and allocation of temporary market stalls located below Avenir Park.
The disagreement involves Bamenda City Mayor Paul Achombong and Bamenda One Mayor Mbinga Felix. The city mayor has ordered the Bamenda One Council to immediately stop allocating the stalls, arguing that the land belongs exclusively to the Bamenda City Council.
Mayor Achombong says ownership documents support the City Council’s claim to the land. He has warned that all temporary structures erected on the site without authorisation will be demolished in the coming weeks.
The dispute centres on who has the legal authority to manage the area and collect
taxes from traders operating there. City Council officials insist that any allocation or tax collection by the Bamenda One Council on the site is illegal.
According to sources in Yaounde, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has been briefed on the matter. The sources say Mayor Achombong presented documents to government authorities to justify the City Council’s ownership of the land.
Meanwhile, traders using the temporary stalls say they are caught in the middle of the conflict. Many of them are internally displaced persons who say they turned to the makeshift market because they cannot afford the higher fees charged in council-built markets.
Residents in the area report growing anxiety as rumours of imminent demolition spread. Some traders fear losing their only source of income if the structures are pulled down without an alternative arrangement.
The Bamenda City Council has confirmed that all stalls allocated by the Bamenda One Council on the disputed land have been marked for demolition. The development has deepened uncertainty for traders and raised fresh questions about coordination between local councils in the city.
As of now, no clear resolution has been announced, leaving affected traders waiting for a decision that could significantly impact their livelihoods in an already fragile economic environment.
By Lucas Muma
