what is this Chinese police car doing in the streets of Douala, Cameroon?
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Several photos of a police vehicle with Mandarin markings were taken in Douala, Cameroon in January. Residents of the city claim to have already seen it several times since the end of 2022, with Cameroonian police on board, in a district where there are many Chinese businesses. Our editorial staff investigated this vehicle.
On January 12, a photo of a vehicle was posted on the “Nzui Manto Yi sep sep” Facebook page, with the following caption: “Paul Biya’s regime has sold Cameroon to China. […] Chinese police patrol in Akwa, China business district [situé à Douala, au Cameroun, NDLR].”
In this photo, we can read the word “police” in French and Mandarin, on the rear door of the vehicle. On the front door, a logo is also visible, featuring the flags of Cameroon and China, the inscription “CCPCCCC”, and a few words in Mandarin meaning “Chinese Community and Police Cooperation Center of the Chamber of Chinese trade in Cameroon”.
The vehicle of the “Chinese police”. © Facebook page “Nzui Manto Yi sep sep”, January 12.
Several residents of Douala told our editorial staff that they had already seen this vehicle several times since the end of 2022, in the Akwa district, where there are many Chinese shops. According to them, it is still Cameroonian police officers who are on board.
On January 30, a resident sent four other photos to our editorial staff showing a similar vehicle: we find the same logo on the front door, as well as the word “police” in French. The only difference: the word “police” in Mandarin has disappeared.
However, it is most likely the same vehicle as the one in the January 12 Facebook post, as the rear door is damaged in exactly the same place.
“Two Cameroonians dressed as police officers were in the vehicle”
Franck (pseudonym) is the author of the four photos sent to our editorial staff. He wished to remain anonymous, for fear of reprisals from the Cameroonian authorities.
I took these photos on January 30, around 8am. Two Cameroonians dressed as police officers were in the vehicle. They stopped and one of them – whom I know – went to buy a phone case in a shop. Then they left. This happened in Douala, rue Galliéni, at the level of the Old Third [un marché, NDLR]in the phone market area.
Since December, I have already seen this vehicle several times in the area, with Cameroonian policemen on board – never Chinese. Regarding those I saw on January 30, I sometimes see them in this car, and sometimes in a “classic” Cameroonian police vehicle.
I don’t like to see a vehicle with Chinese writing circulating in Cameroon. I don’t think a Cameroonian police vehicle could circulate in China…
I guess this vehicle is there to deter those attacking the Chinese. In January, one of them was assaulted, and the next day I saw this car driving around the Old Third market, to scan the place and check the surveillance cameras.
A Chinese man assaulted in rue Galliéni, in Douala (around 0’44). “His shop was robbed by young people, who took away money,” said Gilles Noubissie, consultant at G&J Media. © “Nzui Manto Yi sep sep” Facebook page, January 12.
A vehicle to protect the Chinese community in Douala?
Like Franck, several people interviewed by our editorial staff believe that this vehicle is therefore there to protect Chinese nationals in Douala. “Maybe China gives money to the Cameroonian police to ensure their security. For me, it is not a problem, especially since it can also strengthen the security of Cameroonians,” says Julio, who has already seen this car once.
The subject of the insecurity felt by the Chinese in Cameroon is not new. In a note from the French Institute of International Relations published in June 2022, we can read: “The Chinese government is increasingly concerned about the safety of its nationals in Cameroon, and in particular [des] tradespeople. During the visit of the Chinese president in 2007, his compatriots requested a hearing to complain about the attacks […].”
Cameroonian police reluctant to speak out on the subject
Contacted by our editorial staff about the vehicle seen in Douala, Joyce Mandeng, communication officer for the Cameroonian police, did not wish to speak, while specifying that the police had not received any complaint on this subject and that the vehicle did not resemble those of the Cameroonian police (generally dark blue). The communication officer at the regional delegation of Littoral security – where Douala is located – did not answer our questions either.
The journalists of the Cameroonian media Data Cameroon nevertheless managed to obtain some elements of response in a police station in Akwa, where a policewoman confided to them: “It’s only one car. It criss-crosses the Shower [endroit à Akwa, NDLR] Day and night. This vehicle escorts Chinese merchants when they need to make deposits in banks.” According to her, China has made this vehicle available to the Cameroonian authorities to ensure the safety of its nationals, and it is the police officers of the central police station n ° 1 who drive it.. But no one wanted to answer Data Cameroon in this police station.
The Chinese Embassy in Cameroon assures “not to be aware [de ce] case”
Our editorial staff contacted the Chinese Embassy in Cameroon, which declared that it was “not aware [de ce] file”: “China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, strictly observed international law and respected the judicial sovereignty of all countries. The Chinese police did not take any action or set up any device in Cameroon.”
“It looks like China is trying to develop something similar to what they did in South Africa”
Jing-Jie Chen is a researcher with the international NGO “Safeguard Defenders”, which published a report in 2022 on the police offices established by China illegally abroad to control its nationals. His NGO has not published anything on Africa, but he has done some personal research:
In South Africa, cooperation centers between the local police and the Chinese community have been set up in areas where there are Chinese, due to the country’s insecurity. Some of these centers date back to 2016-2017, such as in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. I was able to count about ten.
These centers are run by Chinese chambers of commerce or Chinese business unions, with support from the Chinese embassy and consulates. Obviously, the local police work with the Chinese community through these centers. They are therefore quite different from those analyzed in our 2022 report, which are not recognized by the countries where they are implemented.
Regarding Cameroon, I couldn’t find any information, but it looks like China is trying to develop something similar to what they did in South Africa. The inscription “CCPCCCC” visible on the vehicle in Douala could correspond to “China-Cameroon Police Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon”.
Contacted, the president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon, mentioned on the logo of the vehicle seen in Douala, did not respond to our questions.
France 24-Trans
