Page 10 - DMEA Week 17 2022
P. 10

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.™















































       P10                                      www. NEWSBASE .com                           Week 17   28•April•2022
   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15