Kumba-Ekondo Titi Road Construction : BIR Redeems Abandoned Works

The Rapid Intervention Battalion (French acronym, BIR), an elite branch of the Cameroon army is in song as the redeemer of the cherished but hitherto abandoned road project to construct the Loum-Kumba-Ekondo Titi-Mundemba-Akwa road. 
Earmarked for construction years before the spring of armed violence in Anglophone Cameroon, the 153-kilometre number 16 National Highway project was engaged by 2018 for construction by the Tunisian Sourabat company. Sooner had they begun works than the armed groups appeared, sabotaged the works, kidnapped their engineers and killed one of them, Khaled Tinsa. The contractor was left with the only choice to flee for safety packing all its equipment away. 
President Paul Biya’s mention of the road in his end-of-year address to the nation on the eve of 2023 prompted Meme's Senior Divisional Officer (SDO), Chamberlin Ntou’ou Ndong, to carry out an urgent inspection mission on part of the Number 16 highway from Kumba in Meme through Mbonge to Ekondo-Titi. This part constitutes 60 kilometres of works resumed on the project by the BIR for CFA 40.6 billion. It is described by observers as a “road redemption” mission following the abdication of the Tunisian project contractor due to the socio-political crisis in the region.
The SDO’s visit was also to encourage the BIR that were present on the site effecting general clearing of the way and maintaining traffic. The commander of the 6th BIR, Colonel René Danzabé, explained that “We have been opening the road from 18-24 meters wide and today, we are almost at Big Nganjo covering already 36 of the 60 kilometres of the distance."
The 60-kilometre part allocated by the Ministry of Public Works to the Engineering Department of the Rapid Intervention Battalion on November 4, 2022, stood at 36 percent completion rate. According to the Divisional Delegate of Public Works for Meme, Azange Emmanuel Ticha, 55km of the road is found in Meme Division and five kilometres in Ndian Division.
Colonel René Danzabé told the press that “This project is double-fold requiring great technical knowledge and having security concerns". He added “Security wise, we commune with the population to serve as our informants. Their collaboration has mitigated insecurity and enhanced the project's smooth progress".
The populations of Big Ekombe, Bole Market and Mabonji are today marveled by the great transformation of the road, 18 to 22 meters wide. Ntou’ou Ndong, Meme’s Administrator expressed satisfaction with work’s progress “I am marveled at the quality of work being done by the BIR”. The road is vital in revamping Meme Division’s economy as it promotes trade between Nigeria and Meme Division and will facilitate the transportation of cocoa from Mbonge Sub-division to Kumba. 
An inhabitant of Bole Ba...