Page 10 - DMEA Week 17 2022
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DMEA FUELS DMEA
Cameroon blames sanctions
on Russia for fuel shortages
AFRICA CAMEROON’S Energy Ministry is blaming Shipments of perishable goods have begun
Western states’ decision to impose trade sanc- rotting because transport companies have been
tions on Russia for the petroleum product short- unable to secure fuel since mid-April, he noted,
ages that have broken out around the country, adding that drivers have been surprised to see
according to a report from Voice of America that Yaounde has not managed to improve sup-
(VOA). ply conditions for so long.
Ministry officials said last week that Cam- One such driver, Brilliant Chaba, told VOA
eroon had started running low on fuel earlier that fuel shortages had already caused him to fall
in April as a consequence of the rise in world three days behind schedule part way through
crude oil prices. The bull market has strained the a delivery run from the Cameroonian port of
country’s ability to import fuel, and supplies are Douala to the Chadian capital of N’djamena.
diminishing, they said. Chaba also said he was running out of the money
In turn, the officials said, the shortfalls are needed to pay for food, shelter and parking fees
disrupting trade and transport. Without access in the city of Yaounde.
to diesel fuel, they explained, thousands of cars, VOA went on to quote Simon Pierre Omgba
buses and trucks have been stranded on the Mbida, an international relations specialist at
roads. This includes hundreds of freight trucks the External Relations Ministry of Cameroon,
bound for Chad and the Central African Repub- as saying that he expected most African states
lic now stuck at the border and unable to deliver to suffer economic harm as a result of European
their goods, they added. reactions to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Moise Vokeng, the president of the Came- The EU should not assume that the African
roon Professional Transporters Network, was Union and its 55 member states will always
quoted by VOA as saying that the fuel shortages agree with Brussels on policy issues, he declared.
had the potential to cause major damage to Cam- Instead, it should recognise that each African
eroon’s economy if the government did not take country has its own interests and makes its own
action quickly. decisions in line with those interests.
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