The town of Ouesso, in northern Congo, is gradually recovering from a turbulent streak. The disappearance of a resident seven days ago caused great emotion. Cameroonian nationals in the city and their businesses were targeted after one of their own was accused. The Congolese authorities called for calm and provided explanations at the end of the week.
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The Congolese Minister of the Interior made a statement to take stock of the situation in Ouesso. According to Raymond Zéphirin Mboulou, it all started on April 12, around 11 a.m., when a 26-year-old Congolese resident left her home to go to an appointment.
But at the end of the day, around 7 p.m., one of her friends living in Pointe-Noire called her family. An individual contacted her via the account WhatsApp of the young woman kidnapped to ask for 500,000 CFA francs from the family and one million FCFA from the father of the victim’s child.
On the 14th, the family filed a complaint. An investigation was opened and a Cameroonian taxi driver was taken into custody. The next day, in retaliation, residents attacked businesses run by Cameroonians. Some had to take refuge at the consulate of Cameroon from Ouesso.
A few days later, on April 18, the lifeless body of the kidnapped young woman was found in the forest near Ouesso. A man accused of the murder was arrested in neighboring Cameroon by the gendarmerie, on the other side of the Ngoko River, but much further west.
While presenting the government’s condolences to the victim’s family, the Congolese Minister of the Interior declared ” having strengthened police and gendarmerie services to contain crowd reactions and secure foreign populations “. The legal consequences of the case will be given, he said, “ in accordance with the cooperation agreements between Congo and Cameroon “.