Under the leadership of Mayor Jean Marie ABOUNA, a large-scale cleanup operation took place on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in several areas of the first district of Cameroon's political capital.
The first phase of this extensive operation led teams from the Sanitation, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Department and the Technical Department of the eponymous Municipality to the Mballa 2 neighborhood (behind the high school). This field visit aimed to eliminate illegal dumpsites, dredge the Tongolo Riverbed, and prevent flooding and diseases related to unsanitary conditions.
Mobilized from the early hours of the morning, the municipal teams, supported by local residents and the sanitation company, undertook a thorough cleaning of the area. This intervention comes in a context marked by the proliferation of illegal dumpsites along roadsides, clogging ditches and waterways. A worrying situation, resulting from acts of incivility, exposes the population to significant health and environmental risks.
Faced with this situation, the Mayor of Yaoundé 1st has instructed his services to increase their efforts to restore a healthy living environment within the district under his jurisdiction. This operation is part of a comprehensive sanitation initiative undertaken throughout the entire municipality.
"This action is a call for civic responsibility from everyone. Every resident of Yaoundé 1st must adopt civic behaviors, particularly by sorting waste and using the appropriate collection points," emphasized Clémentine ONAMBELE, Second Deputy Mayor and personal representative of Mayor Jean Marie ABOUNA. This message was reinforced by the Head of the Sanitation Department, Christophe NTSA, who reiterated the Municipal Executive's commitment to making Yaoundé 1st a clean and exemplary municipality.
On the ground, the initiative was met with great satisfaction. The neighborhood chief and residents of the area welcomed this intervention, which they described as beneficial. While expressing their gratitude, they highlighted the need for improved infrastructure, particularly the provision of garbage bins, to ensure sustainable household waste management.
Through this operation, the Yaoundé 1st District Municipality reaffirms its commitment to the well-being of its residents and calls for coordinated action to maintain urban cleanliness over the long term. Following the Mballa 2 phase, municipal teams will move on to other areas of the municipality to carry out the same initiative.