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Safety and Security

If you are living in or visiting Cameroon, you are encouraged to stay abreast of local political and social developments that could signal instability for the country.

Embassy employees have been instructed to refrain from travel outside of city limits after dark, and to be cautious in their movements in centrally located areas within cities and towns. You should follow the same guidelines and not travel by night on Cameroon’s dangerous highways. Armed highway bandits (most notably in border areas); poorly lit and maintained roads; hazardous, poorly maintained vehicles; and unskilled, aggressive, and intoxicated drivers all pose threats to motorists. Attacks and accidents are most common outside major towns, especially in the regions bordering Chad and the Central African Republic, but occur in all areas of the country.

The U.S. Embassy recommends against all travel to the Far North and North Regions, which include the cities of Maroua and Garoua. In February 2013, terrorists affiliated with Boko Haram kidnapped a French family travelling from Waza National Park in Cameroon and took them from Cameroon into Nigeria before releasing them two months later. In November 2013, a French Catholic priest was kidnapped by terrorists affiliated with Boko Haram and was released after one month. In April 2014, a Canadian nun and two Italian priests were kidnapped by Boko Haram and released two months later. In July 2014, a family member of one of Cameroon’s most senior officials and several others were kidnapped and remain hostage. In November 2013, the U.S. Department of State officially designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. There is a continuing concern that expatriates could be targeted in the Far North Region. The U.S. Embassy has placed restrictions on travel by U.S. officials to the Far North and North Regions of Cameroon; all U.S. officials must receive advance clearance from the U.S. Embassy to travel to the Far North and North Regions, including the cities of Maroua and Garoua.

On May 14, 2013, Nigeria proclaimed a state of emergency in the states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe (Adamawa and Borno states in Nigeria share borders with the North and Far North regions of Cameroon). The Nigerian military has stepped up military operations against Boko Haram in these states. This has adversely affected security in neighboring regions of Cameroon, with refugees and some terrorists crossing into Cameroon to avoid Nigerian military operations.

The U.S. Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to neighboring Central African Republic (CAR). On occasion, conflict in CAR has spilled across the border into Cameroon, affecting outposts in the Adamaoua and East Regions. Humanitarian and religious workers in eastern Cameroon are strongly encouraged to coordinate their efforts with the Embassy and the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Yaoundé.

If you are in Cameroon and considering crossing into Chad, you should review the U.S. Department of State's Travel Warning for Chad  given past security concerns in the border region with Cameroon.

Cameroon assumed control of the Bakassi peninsula in August 2008. While there have been no reported attacks by armed groups on Cameroonian military forces in the last six years, Cameroon's military authorities restrict access to the Bakassi Peninsula. U.S. official travelers must receive prior approval from Embassy authorities to travel to this area. U.S. employees are not permitted to make personal travel to the region.

Armed robbery at sea and piracy in coastal areas remains a threat. While mostly occurring at sea, criminal groups have also conducted armed raids against lucrative coastal targets including banks. Heightened security measures by the government begun in 2009 have reduced the number of attacks. If you are caught in such an attack, you should comply immediately with any demands made by the aggressors and avoid any action that could be interpreted as an attempt to escape. See our fact sheet on International Maritime Piracy and Armed Robbery.

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CRIME: Crime is a serious problem throughout Cameroon. U.S. citizens should exercise caution when traveling in Cameroon. Internet-based crime in Cameroon is escalating rapidly, and everyone, including businesses and other institutions, should be extremely skeptical of any financial transactions that involve sending money for goods, services, or adoptions. Crimes against property, such as carjacking and burglaries, have often been accompanied by violent acts and resulted in fatalities. All foreigners are potential targets for theft with possible attendant violence. Armed banditry has been a problem throughout all ten regions in Cameroon. In January 2011, more than 20 Peace Corps volunteers were robbed at gunpoint in Kribi. In December 2010, a U.S citizen who was residing in Douala was murdered, and in Yaoundé, a U.S. citizen and a British citizen were sexually assaulted in separate incidents in March 2011. In August 2012, a U.S. citizen residing in Bamenda was murdered, and a British family was held at gun-point in their hotel room for almost an hour in the middle of the night. Shortly after the attackers left, one of the victims went for help only to be shot at several times. This incident happened in the vicinity of Melong and the Mount Manengouba National Park in the Littoral Region.

In the past, armed bandits have erected road barricades to steal vehicles. While there have been no major incidents of banditry involving westerners since 2010, travelers may encounter random security checkpoints intended to curb the practice. Cameroonian law requires that you carry identification at all times, and security personnel may request that travelers show their passport, residence card, driver's license, and/or vehicle registration at these roadblocks. You should keep certified copies of these important documents in a secure location separate from the originals. In an effort to monitor road safety, security personnel have also established roadblocks along major highways to check for safety triangles and fire extinguishers. Vehicles without these items may be required to pay a fine. Security personnel have been known to ask for bribes, but normally allow expatriate travelers to continue after delaying them for a period of time. The U.S. government does not condone bribery or corruption of any kind.

There have been many crimes involving public transportation. Taxis can be dangerous; U.S. Embassy personnel cannot use taxi cabs in Cameroon. Taxis in Cameroon function more like a U.S. bus system, with drivers stopping along the road to pick up additional passengers as long as there is space left in the vehicle. Taxi drivers and accomplices posing as passengers often conspire to commit serious crimes including rape, robbery, and assault. If you must use a taxi, consider hiring a driver you know and his/her private taxi for your exclusive use for that particular trip. Taxi passengers should be particularly vigilant at night.

The risk of street and residential crime is high. Incidents often involve gangs, home invasions, and kidnapping. Periodic efforts by authorities in Yaoundé to clear streets and public spaces of illegally constructed homes and market stalls can become confrontational, and may contribute to surges in criminality as these very modest homes and businesses are destroyed.

Many crimes involve an “inside man” and target individuals or locations involved with payrolls or other activities involving large sums of cash. Carjackings and robberies have also been reported on rural highways, especially in the northern region near Cameroon's border with the Central African Republic and Chad.

The Embassy has identified a wide range of internet scams based in Cameroon. These schemes cover a broad spectrum of bogus activities, including adoptions, insurance claims, dating, real estate, the provision of domestic services (such as nannies and household help), agricultural products, antiques, and exotic or domesticated animals. Often, these are advance-fee scams  where the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value, such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift, and then receives little or nothing in return. U.S. citizens should never send money or travel to Cameroon to meet a potential business partner contacted via the internet without first checking with the Embassy’s Commercial Section. Commercial scams targeting foreigners, including U.S. citizens, continue to be a problem. The scams generally involve phony offers of lucrative sales and repeated requests for additional funds to pay for unforeseen airport and/or customs fees. Do not share your personal financial or account information. If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a transaction in Cameroon, contact the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon. The Embassy’s commercial section regularly assists U.S. citizens seeking to determine the legitimacy of commercial transactions.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy is aware of complaints by U.S. citizens shipping vehicles or other merchandise to Cameroon who are unable to complete the transaction as they had expected, and who have ended up being detained based on these commercial disputes. The ability of the U.S. Embassy to extricate U.S. citizens from the legal consequences of unlawful business deals is limited. U.S. citizens are urged to complete financial transactions with trusted partners only, insist on written contracts, and to avoid informal agreements.

For more information on international financial scams, including those involving internet dating, a promise of an inheritance windfall, a promise of a work contract overseas, overpayment for goods purchased on-line, or money-laundering, see the Department of State's International Financial Scams publication. 

In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law. In addition, bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.

VICTIMS OF CRIME: If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime abroad, you should contact the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. We can:

  • Replace a stolen passport.
  • Help you find appropriate medical care if you are the victim of violent crimes such as assault or rape.
  • Put you in contact with the appropriate police authorities, and contact family members or friends.
  • Help you understand the local criminal justice process and direct you to local attorneys, although it is important to remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crime.

Cameroon has no local equivalent to the “911” emergency line; dial 112 in major cities to contact ambulance services.

Please see our information on victims of crime, including possible victim compensation programs in the United States. 

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Population: 26,545,863


Total Land Area: 472,710 km2


Population/km2: 56.16