Cameroon – Manyu Division : Women march in black to protest surging youth drug abuse in Mbeme.
- Direct Info
- 3 juin 2026
In a powerful display of community mobilization, the women of Mbeme village, located in the Upper Banyang Subdivision of the Manyu Division, took to the streets on Monday, June 1, 2026. Clad in black attire and holding traditional peace plants, the demonstrators staged a peaceful march to firmly denounce the alarming rise in drug trafficking and substance abuse devastating local youths.
Marching solemnly through the village, the women raised their voices in song to reject the proliferation of destructive narcotics. The protest specifically targeted the rampant trade and consumption of substances such as Tramadol (an opioid analgesic frequently abused for its stimulant effects); Cannabis (locally known as « banga ») and other hard drugs that residents say are driving addiction and fueling local crime.
Beyond the banners and songs, the demonstration took on a deeply spiritual and cultural dimension. The women gathered to offer public prayers and perform traditional rites, invoking the intervention of community leaders, administrative authorities, and their ancestors to purge the village of this growing menace.
The village of Mbeme sits in a part of the South West Region that has been severely fractured by nearly a decade of the Anglophone crisis. Years of armed conflict have eroded traditional socio-economic structures, leaving a vacuum often filled by illicit networks.
Local residents emphasize that the trauma and lack of opportunities stemming from the ongoing conflict have exacerbated vulnerability among the youth, making them easy targets for drug dealers.
For the mothers and elders of Mbeme, this march is a cry from the heart for the survival of their village. They maintain that the entire future of their community hinges on immediate, decisive action to protect the next generation from the dual traps of narcotics addiction and the criminal behavior that inevitably follows it.
Peter Kum
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