Tension gripped the chief town of Buea in Fako County on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, after angry residents of Chief Street Quarter in Molyko mounted barricades along the lone Buea-Limbe highway around NFC Bank, protesting what they described as a deliberate abandonment by the French Cameroun electricity company, SOCADEL.
The protesters, made up of traders, students, bike riders and residents, blocked movement for several hours, paralysing traffic along the strategic highway linking Buea to other parts of Ambazonia. Witnesses said the population poured onto the streets as early as morning hours, chanting anti-SOCADEL songs and demanding the immediate restoration of electricity after close to three months in darkness.
“We need light SOCADEL, we need light SOCADEL,” angry residents repeatedly sang as they occupied the road.
Others could be heard lamenting the impact of the blackout on students preparing for the ongoing GCE examinations across Ambazonia.
“We need light. “GCE di come; we need light,” protesters shouted while denouncing what they called the total neglect of Chief Street by the regime in Yaoundé and its local agents.
Residents say businesses have collapsed, food is spoiling daily, and students have been forced to read in the dark during a critical examination period. Many accused SOCADEL officials of ignoring repeated community complaints despite months of suffering.
The protest quickly caused heavy traffic congestion along the lone road in Buea, leaving commuters, commercial drivers and travellers stranded for hours.
As tensions escalated, heavily armed colonial security forces and elements of the Cameroun military moved into the area to disperse protesters and reopen the highway. Witnesses confirmed that force and tactical measures were used against the demonstrators before traffic circulation eventually resumed.
Despite the crackdown, residents insist their frustration remains unresolved, warning that more civil actions could erupt if electricity is not restored immediately.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
