Since the closure of the border between Nigeria and Cameroon following recent attacks by the Islamist sect Boko Haram, economic activities in this northern border region have come to a grinding halt. For the many who now find themselves jobless, the closure of the border is an extreme measure. According to them, there are no Boko Haram insurgents in the area.

by Eric Kouamo, Amchide

“Damn these Boko Haram people!” shouts El Adj Amadu during a group discussion in Fulfulde, the dominant dialect among Muslim communities in northern Cameroon. He can’t come to terms with the slowing of business in the neighbouring Bama village, on the Nigerian side of the border. Ever since President Goodluck Jonathan decided to close the border with Cameroon, business is bad, very bad.

Due to its proximity with Nigeria, northern Cameroon constitutes an important trading partner. “In the past, we used to slaughter four to five bulls a day. The meat was sold to people from the nearby Bama village, in Nigeria. The money allowed us to put food on our table at home. But since the closure of the border, life is tough. We don’t have anything: no money and nothing to feed our children.”

Different interpretations
On the Nigerian side, populations regard the closing of the border with Cameroon as a preventive security measure to keep potential members of the Boko Haram sect from setting up a support base in a neighbouring country. However, for the residents of Amchide on the Cameroonian side of the border, the closure is regarded as a hindrance to their socio-economic growth.

“Amchide and Limani are at peace. We’ve been hearing about Boko Haram all this time but we have not seen them here once. They are in Nigeria, not here. But everywhere you go, you hear about Boko Haram. Everywhere the same word: Boko Haram. They are not here. We should be left in peace,” implores Boubakary, a businessman who imports and exports goods. With a concerned face, he points to a makeshift storage facility with large stocks of goods still waiting to be sold.

Economic losses
Trade between Cameroon and Nigeria in the northern region has taken a hard hit. According to Cameroonian customs, the country could lose more than 50 million CFA francs (76,000 euros) in customs revenues. “Customs revenues have already dropped and continue to plummet. We’ve lost nearly ninety percent of our revenues,” explains a young customs officer from behind his desk at the regional office. Before the border was closed, they used to spend their days in the field: at the border, controlling goods and collecting taxes. “But now we don’t have much to do. There is really not much activity on the border,” he says.

Meanwhile, business owners are running out of patience. They hope that the authorities from both sides of the border will start addressing their livelihood-threatening situation by finding alternative measures that are more suited to the needs of people in the region. “They should instead open up the border and preach peace among Muslim communities on both sides. That will prevent Boko Haram from recruiting new members in the region,” suggests a business owner before returning to his complaints about economic losses.