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PROJECT : CENTRAL AFRICA BACKBONE (CAB) PROJECT –

CAMEROON COMPONENT – PHASE 1

COUNTRY : CAMEROON

SUMMARY OF THE ABBREVIATED RESETTLEMENT PLAN (ARP)

May 2015

Project Team

Project Team S. OMAR ELMI, Senior ITC Engineer, OITC.3

T. MOURGUES, Financial Analyst, OPSM.3

C. DJEUFO, Procurement Officer, ORPF.1

G. MEKA ABESSOLO, Financial Management Expert, ORPF.2

M. L. KINANE, Principal Environmentalist Expert, ONEC.3

S. BAIOD, Environmentalist, ONEC.3

P. SANON, Social Development Specialist, ONEC.3

Regional Director

Sectoral Director

Country Representative

Head of Division

Mrs M. KANGA, ORCE Director

M. A. OUMAROU, OITC Director

M. R. KANE, CMFO Resident Representative

M. N. WILLIAMS, Head of Division, OITC.3

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SUMMARY OF THE ABBREVIATED RESETTLEMENT PLAN (ARP)

Project Title: CENTRAL AFRICA BACKBONE (CAB) PROJECT –

CAMEROON COMPONENT – PHASE 1

Project Nº: P-CM-GB0-002

Country : CAMEROON

Department : OITC Division : OITC.3

INTRODUCTION

At the request of the Cameroonian authorities, the African Development Bank will support the

implementation of the Central Africa Backbone (CAB) Project -Cameroon Component - phase 1.

From an environmental and social standpoint, the project shall be classified as category 2, in the light

of the nature of the work to be undertaken, project size and scope, as well as its potential direct and

indirect impact.

Project implementation will eventually cause damage to the riparian populations. In accordance with

existing national procedures and policies including those of the African Development Bank, an

abbreviated resettlement plan has been prepared. This abbreviated plan which forms the subject of this

summary, has been developed to ensure that any economic or physical relocation resulting from the

aforesaid project, whether permanent or temporary, shall be carried out in a socially responsible

manner.

1. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION AND PROJECT LOCATION

1.1 Project Summary Description

Overall, the Central Africa Backbone (CAB) project - Cameroon Component - phase 1 aims to

contribute "towards the actual increase in connectivity at regional level, increasing broadband services

in the sub-region, reducing the high cost of telecommunications/ICT impacting the business

environment in the sub-region, multifaceted job creation and the expansion of manufactured goods and

services, thereby helping poverty alleviation". This project can be broken down as per the components

below:

N° COMPONENTS

AMOUNT AUTHORIZED

DESCRIPTION

A FIBRE OPTIC

INFRASTRUCTURES

20,339 MUA

A. 1- Implementation work for optical-fibre systems,

A. 2 - Mitigation measures relating to environmental and social impacts (including ARP

financing),

A. 3 - Control and monitoring of optical-fibre.

B ICT APPLICATIONS &

SERVICES

7,885 MUA

B. 1- Introduction of e-posting and e-banking,

B. 2- Introduction of a Market and Climate Information System (MCIS).

C INSTITUTIONAL

SUPPORT & CAPACITY

BUIDLING

5,413 MUA

C. 1- Studies,

C. 2- Technical Assistance - Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ART),

C. 3- Building the capacity of TCP, ECAC and CPF,

C. 4- Establishment of optical fibre skills development centre at the National College of Post

Offices and Telecommunications (ENSPT),

C. 5- Support to women empowerment.

D PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1,994 MUA

D. 1- Support to UCP/CAB-Cameroon,

D. 2- Support to the operation of various commissions,

D. 3 - Technical, accounting and financial Audits.

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Project total cost shall amount to 35.631 million UC (units of account), or Euros 45.608 million. This

cost includes a budget allocated for the ARP implementation (cf. Line A2), herein.

1.2 Project Location

The deployment of 916 line kilometers of optical fibers will be done on the following roads: Mamfe-

Ekok (Interconnection with Nigeria - 82 Km); Bertoua-Batouri-Kentzou (interconnection with the

CAR - 206 Km); Kumba-Mamfe (187 Km); Sangmélima-Djoum-Mintom-Ntam (interconnection with

the Congo - 331 Km) and Bamenda-Ndop-Kumbo (110 Km). The table below summarizes the

essential data on the project wide area of influence as a whole:

Roads

travelled REGION

Districts within the ZIP Surface

area

(Sq. km)

Surface

area/

country

Estimated population in 2013

(Source: INS)

Density

(inhabitants/sq.

km)

Statement of

identity

County town Inhabitants M F

1. Mamfe –

Ekok

South-

West

Manyu Mamfé 9 565 2.03% 203 785 100 802 102 983 21

1. Bertoua -

Batouri –

Kentzou

East Kadey

Lom et

Djerem

Boumbé

Batouri

Bertoua

Yokadoma

15 884

26 345

30 389

3.38%

5.60%

6.46%

196 609

244 233

124 633

97 253

120 810

61 650

99 357

123 423

62 983

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9

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3. Kumba –

Mamfe

South-

West

Koupé

Manengouba

Bangem 3 404 0.72% 118 844 58 786 60 058 35

Meme Kumba 3 105 0.66% 367 785 181 925 185 860 118

Fako Limbé 2 093 0.44% 525 013 259 697 265 315 251

4. Sangmélima

– Djoum -

Ntam

South Dja et Lobo Sangmélima 19 911 4.23% 226 880 112 226 114 654 11

5. Bamenda–

Ndop –

Kumbo

North-

West

Mezam Bamenda 1 745 0.37% 356 954 176 567 180 387 205

Ngo Ketunjia Ndop 1 126 0.24% 47 513 23 502 24 011 42

Bui Kumbo 2 297 0.49% 141 170 69 830 71 340 61

Donga

Mantung

Nkambé 4 279 0.91% 50 828 25 142 25 686 12

Totals 120 143 25.54% 2 604 248 1 288 191 1 319 057 22

The direct area of influence relates to the communities travelled across by roads. This zone covers

616 468 people, including 344 954 women.

The Bertoua-Batouri–Kentzou route described in the abstract of the ARP serves the

following communities: Bertoua – Mandjou – Touki – Fio – Gadji – Akakélé – Tikondi –

Bandongoué – Batouri – Kambélé – Ngoura 2 – Nyabi – Mbile – Lolo – Kentzou. This eastern part of

the country together with the Adamaoua provinces and the South are part of the sparsely populated

areas of Cameroon with a population of less than one million inhabitants. This population was

estimated at 815,472 inhabitants in 2012 with a density of 7.4 inhabitants/sq. km. There are many

villages along the Bertoua - Kentzou road section. The rural population distribution is quite variable

with some villages of more than 3 000 inhabitants (Nyabi, Gadji) while others have less than 100

inhabitants (Lindi, Bellkoungou).

The area’s economy is dominated by the activities pertaining to the primary, secondary and tertiary

sectors:

- Because of its impact on the local economy and the high percentage of the population that it uses,

the primary sector is the most important industry in the area. The activities in this sector include

agriculture, animal husbandry, small-scale mining, fishing and logging of non-timber forest

product (NTFP).

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- On the secondary sector, the industrial fabric remains little developed and relies mainly on logging

through Kadey’s wood processing firm (STBK), including a sawmill based in Batouri. A mining

company (AFRICA ORA) conducted exploration works in the area with a view to ascertaining

existing potentials in gold and diamond. Formerly, tobacco growing had been popularized in the

area via the formation of the Cameroonian Company for Tobacco Export (CETAC), and this had

helped farmers to develop wide plantations. At Kambélé, a unit processing cassava into starch was

established by the Chinese and a 200 ha plantation. It is also contemplated to launch another

project for the production and processing of cassava in the town of Batouri. According to the

government daily Cameroon Tribune, that project will employ 375 farm producers who will

operate a total area of 750 ha. Promoters are planning to process into starch, tapioca and cassava

flour, 25% of the 45 000 tonnes of cassava to be yielded every year under the project.

- The tertiary sector or service industry is being developed in the study area. The bulk of the

activities in this sector is mainly concentrated in the urban centres such as Bertoua, Mandjou,

Batouri and Kentzou and operates as well in formal and informal settings. The flagship activities

included trade, mobile telephony, transportation services, micro-finance and transfer of funds,

hotel industry and catering and caretaking.

2. CENCUS OF THE POPULATIONS AFFECTED BY THE PROJECT (PAP)

2.1 Potential impact on people and property

The implementation of the Cameroon CAB project foreshadows two scenarios regarding the property

and people affected by the rights-of-way in connection with the road construction works:

i) The rights-of-way are already released as part of other road projects as follows: the

construction project of the Bamenda-Ndop-Kumbo road section; the construction project of

the Mamfe-Ekok road section; the construction project of the Kumba-Manfe road section and

the construction project for the Sangmelima-Ndjou-Ntam road section. In this case the release

of right-of-way is already done and room has already been made to deploy the optical fibre

system. The CAB project will only provide for cabling. No civil engineering work is involved.

No property or person will therefore be affected.

ii) The right-of-way must be released on account of the CAB project. This relates to the

Bertoua-Batouri -Kentzou road section under this abbreviated resettlement plan.

The project aimed at installing the optical fibre on the Bertoua-Batouri–Kentzou road section is

expected to follow the existing route of Bertoua leading to the RCA border via Batouri and Kentzou.

The installation of the optical fibre will be done in general through the right-of-way of the existing

earth road, at a distance between 0 and 05 meters from the kerb. In principle, the project nature which

is to dig up trenches of approximately 1 m deep and 20 cm wide, laying of the sleeves and closing of

trenches by way of embankments, should not cause any damage. When it comes to pits, trenches will

be 1m deep and 50 cm wide.

Considering the initial technical option envisaged by MINPOSTEL, the inventory of the types of

property and persons located within the exact bounds dedicated to civil engineering work and optical

fibre installation enabled us to identify the following property: 43 dwelling places and local business

firms; 02 mosques; and screeds and stairs.

In order to mitigate as much as possible project impacts on the property of riparian

communities without challenging the technical efficiency, MINPOSTEL authorities eventually

decided on a route whose right-of-way will relate to 22 plain screeds, 5 special screeds, 2 walls

and 4 stairs. This optimized route will help to avoid the destruction of 43 households and 2

mosques.

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The option chosen will all of the same cause some damage to the incomes of a number of affected

property owners, particularly with business firms (shops, restaurants and hotels) and service stations.

Indeed, these business people may notice that their clientele will be on the decrease during this period,

which cut down on their incomes. However, given the relatively short time between the digging up of

trenches for the installation of sleeves, their closing and the repair of associated damage (this period of

time may be less than or equal to 10 days, depending on work schedule), the degree of projected losses

can be considered as minor with regard to these business firms, shops and service stations. In addition,

the project Management will make provisional operational provisions to secure access. It can therefore

be noted that the said project will not affect very significantly their incomes.

2.2 Characteristics of the people affected by the project

All in all 30 property owners will be affected by the project with a loss of 22 plain screeds, 5 special

screeds, 2 walls and 4 stairs forming part of their dwelling places or businesses and the disruption

of their activities and income sources.

Of the PAPs, 5 have a petrol station; 22 are business owners (shops/bars /hotels/restaurants); 2 relate

to the screeds of households and another type.

Among the 30 owners, 10 are businessmen, 15 are traders and 4 practice some trade of their own. No

woman is among the affected owners. There is no indigenous population among these PAPs. The

educational level of the affected people is relatively high; in fact 09 people have a higher level of

education, 16 people have a secondary level, 02 a primary level and 02 persons are uneducated. As for

marital status, 25 persons are married, 03 are singles and 01 person is a widower. Among owners, you

have only 01 person aged less than 30 years, 15 persons aged from 30 to 40, 10 persons from 40 to 50

years and 04 persons from 50 to 60 years.

2.3 Gender and vulnerable population analysis under the project area

Status of women in the project area

Like most Cameroonian towns, the project area is featured by a galloping population as a result of

rural exodus causing men and women to leave rural areas in pursuit of “greener pastures” in urban

areas. Of the 2 604 248 inhabitants based in the wider project area there are 1 319 057 women. The

number of women within the direct area of influence is 312 242 out of the 616 468 direct beneficiaries

of the project living in the community covered by the said project.

Although being in majority within the project area, women remain minor players whose opinions and

desires are not always considered. This state of thing is encouraged on the one hand by rampant

polygamy and on the other hand, by local adverse sociocultural habits. According to such cultures,

women must be submissive and devoted to their husbands. They should seldom go out and even when

they do so, this will be under control far from the eyes of admirers; hence veil wearing will help curb

on any lust at all.

Literacy rate remains low within the project area. Generally, young girls are denied access to

education under the false pretext of empowerment. Those who have access to education eventually

turn as school-leavers as a result of early marriages and very often, shot marriages.

Socially, the populations living in the project area remain supportive of ancestral habits and customs.

Women are regularly the victims of female genital mutilation, face marks, etc. This results in women

being frustrated and to some extent being marginalized.

In the project area, the Ministry for the Advancement of Women and the Family set up centres for the

Empowerment of Women (CPF) which account for its “Specialized Units” at a decentralized level.

Their organization and operation are governed as per decree 2000/001/PM dated 4 January 2000. This

decree provides that these centres aim to provide moral, civic and intellectual education to women in

view of their economic, social and cultural advancement; education of women in responsible parenting

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and in the protection of maternal and child health; support to entrepreneurship and learning of growth

activities to facilitate the socio-professional integration or reintegration of women; follow up in close

liaison with Appropriate Technology Centres with the aim of enhancing the living and working

conditions of women in urban and rural areas.

Status of women vis-à-vis the ICT industry

In Cameroon, the number of women working in the ICT sector is very few in general. However,

training institutions relevant to the domain which are the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique

(ENSP) and the National College of Post Offices and Telecommunications (ENSPT) enrolled a huge

number of female students, accounting for an average 30% of the total number of students.

ICT industry is a job pool and provides prospects of employment for Cameroonian girls and youth. In

fact, ICT sector offers many opportunities in several areas of activity, namely: e-government, money

transfer, payment of invoices via AES SONEL, purchasing via credit cards; e-learning and e-

commerce. It is necessary to encourage girls and young women to opt for technology-oriented careers

through mentoring activities, enhancing role models and prominent figures and the provision of tools

designed to assist the national authorities and organizations in urging women to embrace technology

careers".

It is essential to know that, since 2004, CPF in the area have been providing training courses in project

management, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Hotel business and Catering, in

Textile and Clothing industry and in pastures. In addition, in the context of the component "supporting

the vocational training of young girls and women" under the Support Project for the Reform of

Technical Education and Vocational Training (PARETFOP), a training curricula and module review

plan for CPF based on a skills-based approach (APC) has been developed with MINPROFF. To this

end, in terms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), 04 professions have been

identified: communication media female monitors; female data entry operators; female

telecommunications operators and finally female computer graphics operators. A module on

entrepreneurship aims to endow learners with the ability to form and manage a microbusiness, besides

the acquisition of skills specific to select professions.

The contribution of the project to the emancipation and empowerment of women

The project implementation should contribute to promote:

i) a graduate training meant for 3 girls coupled with the granting of PhD scholarships in order

for them to become part of the national elite in the field of ICT;

ii) strengthening information, awareness and guidance of young girls in the field of ICT;

iii) the supply of equipment to 11 CPF which are institutions supporting the empowerment of

young girls and women and 20 CSCP/DAAs which back up women involved in farming

activities. These centres are involved in the promotion and the empowerment of women. This

nexus would help them to open up to the world and share substantial information within a

short span of time.

iv) the provision of ICT equipment to multimedia telecentres and to bring young girls and young

men closer with the ICT industry;

v) Increasing cooperation between the CSCP/DAAs, CPF and the pole of excellence and

reference represented by ENSPT so as to develop and to provide young people with

appropriate module training in ICT and in network security.

Vulnerability

The most vulnerable segments of society in the project area consist of refugees (especially women and

children), Mbororo cattlemen, elderly persons, persons living with HIV/AIDS, motor-handicapped

persons and street kids.

Building the capabilities of CPF and CSCP in the project area will enable these well-equipped

institutions -whose mandate is to ensure protection and promote empowerment- to support these

vulnerable populations.

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2.4 Status of Mbororo indigenous people in the project area

The study area is home to a large community of Mbororo natives some of whom are refugees from the

Central African Republic. They are around 60 000 Mbororo Fulani people seeking refuge in the

eastern region, along with the Central African Republic border (WordPress.com), because of the

deterioration of security conditions in the Western part of their country (civil war, violent acts).

The type of range-type animal production practiced by the Mbororo communities and their nomadic or

semi-nomadic lifestyle are sources of stallfed conflicts with the Bantu communities based in the study

area. To hamper such conflicts, space zoning efforts have been made in a number of communities with

the support of administrative and traditional authorities.

However, it is noted that thanks to the support of some international agencies (NGOs First Emergency,

High Commissioner of Refugees, etc.), the Mbororo people of the study area tend to diversify their

activities by including farming and petty trade. The social organization of the traditional power within

the various villages mainstreams Mbororo communities. We thus found an Mbororo community leader

or chiefdom in most of the communities in the area.

The semi-nomadic lifestyle adopted by the Mbororo of the project area, significantly impacts their

access to basic social services (health, education, etc.). The illiteracy rate remains very high among

Mbororo communities.

2.5 Social measures for mitigating negative impacts and improvement measures

The project provides the following actions to mitigate its own negative impacts and contribute

significantly to the improvement of the living conditions of the riparian populations:

- Electrification of 21 multi-purpose community telecentres (TCP) / Digital Access Point (PAN), 20

Centres of Education and Community Action (CSCP) / Delegation of Agriculture District (DAA)

and 11 Centres for the Empowerment of Women (CPF) in terms of solar energy;

- Provision of computer equipment and office furniture to 21 TCPs/PAN, 20 CSCP/PAN and to the

11 CPF;

- Information, awareness and social mobilization campaigns: ownership taking of the project by the

populations is contingent on the implementation of a genuine information, awareness and social

mobilization campaign within the communities. To do this: i) a budgeted action plan has been

planned; ii) community radios and community-based organizations in the communities concerned,

will be called on by the Project Management Unit. As part of this process, the involvement of

MINADER, MINPROFF and MINAS will be actual;

- the granting of PhD scholarships by the project to 4 students per year (3 girls and 1 boy) to defend

theses at SUPCOM Tunis will help support the presence of women in the decision-making bodies

in the field;

- Introductory course and community training in the use of ICT tools which aims to:

o Carry out the training of 208 staff from TCP, CSCP and CPF by the ENSPT to ensure the

management and facilitation of these institutions;

o Start the community training to introduce the course on how to use ICT services and tools

for at least 7 800 persons from the project communities including at least 3 000 women

(150 persons per institution: 52 x 150). This training will be conducted by the personnel

of the supported bodies and under the supervision of the ENSPT to which will be

associated ICT teachers trained at ENS and who are living in these communities.

- A lump sum compensation relating to the discontinuance of shops’ activities

(stores/bars/restaurants/hotels) and service stations will be covered by the project. This

compensation will be used to mitigate the risk of negative impacts on their income during the

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work phase. At the rate of CFA francs 25 000 in average of daily income and based on a duration

of work of 10 days, the project estimated this compensation at: 25 000 x 10 x 26 = 6 500 000 CFA

F.

- The creation of jobs and income-generating activities during the work phase and the operating

period will also be beneficial to women and young people of the project area.

o Indeed by conducting labour-intensive work to dig the 206 km of trenches for the Bertoua-

Batouri –Kentzou road section, the project will use the local labour at the rate of about

100 workers.

o During the work phase, women will temporarily be able to strengthen their income-

generating activities in terms of sales of food, drinks and miscellaneous products.

o As regards the operation of these institutions (TCP, CSCP, CPF), it is contemplated that

their managerial staff and facilitators should comprise in part 104 locally-recruited

persons out of the 208 planned.

o Access to e-banking, e-learning, e-commerce, credit cards and to the internet will improve

the working conditions and resources and thus promote profitability.

3. CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND CONSULTATION

In accordance with national procedures and those of the Bank, the Cameroonian government has opted

for a participatory approach to identify, prepare, assess and implement the project. To achieve this, the

MINPOSTEL, in its phase of preparation and Valuation, conducted public consultations which helped:

(i) Identify key stakeholders to explain to them the project and thereby enable them to become more

conversant and have a better understanding of its impacts; ii) meet with the authorities and other

resource people individually to inform them about the subject matter of the project and the role they

are expected to play; iii) hold informative and awareness meetings geared at riparian populations -

gather the views of communities to take it account and win their buy-in during and after project

implementation; iv) Identify and register the persons and property affected by the project; v) Assess

the losses suffered by the PAPs and inform them.

So, on each of the road sections selected, the following stakeholders were identified and mobilized:

administrative and district authorities; traditional rulers and neighbourhoods crossed by the project;

riparian communities of the project and finally community civil society organizations.

The public consultations took place along the Kumba-Mamfe road section from 16 to 18 December

2014; along the Bamenda-Ndop -Kumbo, Sangmelima-Djoum - Mintom-Ntam and Kumba-Mamfe -

Ekok road sections from 16 to 22 December 2014; on the Bertoua-Batouri -Kentzou road section from

08 to 15 September 2013 for the preparation of the ESIA and in December 2014 as regards the

abbreviated resettlement plan.

The relevance of the topics discussed with the administrative authorities, the district ones as well as

the concerns, expectations and suggestions made by the populations at community meetings, clearly

demonstrate that the subject matter behind the information and awareness campaigns was well grasped

and will have a positive impact towards the development of the area in general.

Community meetings were held smoothly and in a friendly atmosphere in the presence of about 50 to

100 people of which 50% women. The local populations have raised their concerns and main

expectations and signed up to the project from a development perspective. The minutes of these

meetings have been prepared and can be consulted in the form of annexes appended to the available

reports of public consultations.

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Regarding the Bertoua-Batouri -Kentzou road section, the census and the identification of the persons

affected by the project (PAPs) has helped to inform the latter of their status and the provisions which

will be made in terms of compensation. As a matter of fact, with the support of the Heads of the

villages concerned, the persons affected by the Project were consulted individually in December 2014

during the mission for the identification the property located along the project’s rights-of-way. These

consultations involved the introduction of the project; its main positive and negative impacts;

information on the measures to be taken in respect of the property affected; gather the views of the

PAPs on a desired compensation approach (property replacement or financial compensation) and the

procedure for conflict management. The main findings shown below transpired from the above

consultations:

- the vast majority of them (90%) are in support of the project implementation, despite the fact

though their property will be affected;

- The vast majority (93%) opted for the rehabilitation of their property rather than being

compensated for;

- All these PAPs (100%) proposed that a Local Committee of Compensation and Complaints

Management should be set up to ensure that all of the property destroyed be well rehabilitated and

to settle any conflict that may arise out of the implementation of the project.

During the implementation of the abbreviated plan, these PAPs will have the opportunity to negotiate

with the local committee of compensation to obtain suitable conditions to their resettlement. In

general, the MINPOSTEL intends to establish a communication plan aimed at informing, sensitizing

and social mobilization of the riparian populations, operators of the public and private sector based in

the area during the implementation.

3.1 Complaints Management Mechanism

Types of complaints and conflicts to be dealt with

Generally, different types of conflicts may arise in cases of injuries resulting from infrastructural and

expropriation investment. That is what substantiates the establishment of a mechanism to deal with the

complaints of the persons affected by the project (PAP). As part of this project, no resettlement has

been planned nor cash compensation, but rather the rehabilitation of destroyed property. Nevertheless,

a number of problems or claims might occur. The problems that could occur are the following:

- The omission of the affected persons in the list of property to be renovated, for instance, due to an

absence during the surveys;

- Errors in the identification of the PAP and property assessment;

- Estate, divorce and other domestic problems resulting in conflicts between heirs or members of the

same family, on the appointment of a duly representative;

- Disagreement on the estimate of the quantity and type of work to be carried out.

The law provides that in case of omission, the interested persons shall refer to the local Governor or

the Minister in charge of Estates, in accordance with the rules of jurisdiction of the Commission.

However, in order to accommodate this provision with the principle of community management

and out-of-court settlement of disputes, the complaints will be handled at two levels. To achieve this

as part of this project, two bodies will deal with such complaints: (i) the Commission of Observation

and Property Valuation set up by the MINDCAF and (ii) the Local Compensation and Complaints

Management Commission which will be established by the Project. The time limit for appeal with the

Commission will be three months, in accordance with existing national rules.

The Observation and Valuation Commission

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The Commission will review again the requests on the basis of the CLIGP’s findings and may as well

arrive at the same three previous findings: rejection for unfounded reasons, observation and rValuation

of property, taking into account of the persons concerned and assessment of personal property,

followed in such instances by the rehabilitation of the property of the persons concerned. It is only

after a rejection, and if desired, that the claimant may resort to legal remedies, which are admittedly

very costly and unaffordable to most citizens, especially to rural dwellers. If however at this level the

complainant wins the case, the Commission will comply the observation and Valuation and the

prejudice will be made good through the registration of the claimant's property into the list of property

to be rehabilitated.

The Local Committee of Compensation and Complaints Management (CLIGP)

Once the complaint has been drawn up, the complainant shall send it to the Observation and Valuation

Commission, which would record it in its files prior to submission to the CLIGP. The latter will

review the complaint and may give rise to 3 options:

- Rejection for unfounded reasons,

- Further review by the Commission to reconsider the assessment,

- Approval for consideration of the person concerned.

In any event, the Commission will provide additional explanations to the people concerned.

Regardless of the findings, the requests reviewed will be resent to the Observation and Valuation

Commission for finalization.

Legal remedy in the event of disagreement and/or dissatisfaction

In case it is impossible to reach an out-of-court settlement, the claimant will lodge his/her claim to the

Ministry of Estates, Land Register and Affairs. If still not satisfied, the claimant shall, within a one-

month period, refer the case to the competent court where the property concerned is located.

4. ASSESSMENT AND COMPENSATION FOR LOSS

The assessment of property to compensate for will build on the recommendations made from the

wrap-up of the review of Cameroon’s the African Development Bank’s regulations. This assessment

will be dependent of the nature of property involved.

4.1 Form of compensation

Order n°85/009 dated 04 July 1985 on expropriation in the public interest and the conditions

governing compensation and its implementing order n° 87/1872 dated 18 December 1987 provides

that compensation may be made in cash or in kind, provided that the land assigned in compensation is

located in the same municipality as the land being expropriated. These two main forms - compensation

in kind and cash compensation - are also recognised by the African Development Bank.

Following a consultation with the PAPs, it was clear that they opted for a compensation in kind,

i.e. the rehabilitation of the property which will be destroyed.

4.2 Rates

Buildings

The baseline shall be Order n°00832/Y.15.1/MINUH/D00 dated 20 November 1987 laying down the

baselines for the market value of buildings doomed of expropriation on the grounds of public benefit.

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This Order identified 6 categories of buildings: wooden construction, semi-hard construction, regular

villas, average-status villas, select villas and deluxe villas. The construction expert who is on the

Observation and Valuation Commission will officially value the property while the value of buildings

will be assessed based on a flat rate per square meter.

The buildings are assessed on a case-by-case basis by a professional property valuer as required the

Cameroonian laws. The property valuer will have consider the actual prices (market prices) for

different kinds of (insecure and semi-hard) constructions. Real estate lessors will be compensated

according to the identified categories and replacement costs.

As part of the project for installing the optical fibre on the Bertoua - Batouri – Kentzou road section,

the corrective measures taken regarding the project’s road alignment helped to avoid existing

dwellings. In the absence of destroyed homes, therefore, there will be no compensation. However, a

number of screeds/ bare walls/ home verandas will be affected and will be reconstructed under the

project.

Screeds, walls and stairs

As for the calculation of the repair/reconstruction cost for the screeds, stairs, bare walls and verandas

which may be pulled down during the work phase for installing the optical fibre, the project is based

on the market value.

The pit that will be dug to install the sleeves will be 60 cm wide and may cause damage on a

maximum width of 1 m. The screeds concerned have an average thickness of 10 cm -0.1 m-. To

achieve this, the following relevant information has been collected from professionals in the field:

- In terms of rebuilding a screed on a one-meter length with 0.1 m thickness and 1 m width, it

there will be a need for: 2/5 sand pail, 2/5 bucket of gravel, 4/5 kg of cement amounting to a

total cost of approximately F CFA 14 000. The same value will also be considered for the

stairs and bare walls, but in relation to a greater thickness similar to the thickness of the item

concerned. In addition to the service stations seen along the route (Total in Kano, Blessing in

Kano, Bocom in Trypano, Total in Kentzou and Confex Oil in Kentzou) and which we have

special screeds. We have considered the concrete reinforcement used to manufacture screeds.

Regarding 1 m of line screed used in the construction of these service stations, we considered

an additional cost of CFA F 4000 in addition to the concrete reinforcement. Besides the costs

of the materials required for the repair we should also include are complemented by the labour

cost which can estimated at CFA F 2000 per meter of row.

- The total costs for the repair of property destroyed per meter of row on a 10 cm thickness is

CFA F 16 000 (sixteen thousand CFA francs) in terms of plain screeds, bare walls and the

stairs; and CFA F 20 000 (twenty thousand CFA francs) for special screeds.

Possible loss of income

The project Management is of the opinion that during the work phase lasting about 10 days, the access

to the shops along the route will be clogged without nonetheless preventing business operations. So

the project Management is willing to provide a daily lump sum compensation of FCFA 25 000 per

owner during that period of work. This provision applies to 26 business owners and service-station

managers. This shall amount as a whole to F CFA 6 500 000 (25 000 x 26).

12

5. INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND MONITORING-VALUATION 5.1 Institutional responsibilities

The responsibility to ensure the development and implementation of the ARP according to national

requirements rests with the Ministry of Estates, Land Register and Affairs (MINDCAF). As such, this

ministry shall be responsible for:

Preparing and signing the order on public interest statement (DUP) for the project,

Reviewing, commenting on and endorsing the reports produced by the departmental

commissions of observation and Valuation, and then take in a timely manner all necessary

measures for the implementation of the ARP (signature of the Compensation Order, etc.)

Being informed of the results of the operation and start the reviews of strategies which could

into play in view of the progress and Valuations,

Ensuring the smooth coordination of the various organizations concerned.

The implementing agency for the compensation and resettlement operation for the PAPs will be

MINPOSTEL. In this capacity, they should ensure liaising with MINDCAF, mobilizing the funding

relevant to the ARP prior to implementation.

The ARP project manager will be entrusted to a project management unit (PMU) under the

responsibility of MINPOSTEL. To do this, the PMU will proceed with the recruitment of a socio-

economist who will be specifically responsible for executing this ARP in accordance with national

procedures and those of the Bank.

At the request of the MINPOSTEL, the Departmental Commissions of Observation and Assessment

(CDCE) will be set up by the MINDCAF. Under the chairmanship of the Governor, these

commissions will be responsible for, depending on the limitation of the rights-of-way for the work

phase, the identification, the observation and the final Valuation of the goods and persons affected

under the project for installing the optical fibre on the Bertoua - Batouri - Kentzou road section. They

will be composed of representatives of the government agencies concerned (deputy governors,

MINDCAF, MINAGRI, MINAS, MINPROFF, MINEPDED), as well as the local MP, the mayor and

the traditional authorities concerned.

The Local Commissions of Compensation and Complaints Management (CLIGP) which will be set up

by the implementing agency, while the facilitation, the coordination and the secretariat of the PMU

will be chaired by the local Governor/sub-Governor. They will be composed of the MINDCAF,

MINAS, the MINPROFF, mayors, village headmen and representatives of the PAPs. They will handle

and deal with the complaints lodged by people and potential conflicts.

A local NGO or a consulting firm will be recruited to support the local populations and PAPs through

information, awareness and involvement campaigns of those populations in close cooperation with the

CSCP, DAA, CPF supported by the project. This approach will foster a better sense of project

ownership and of its attainments by the riparian populations alongside the road sections selected.

5.2 Eligibility

On eligibility, within the meaning of national law, anyone whose property will be affected by the

installation of the optical fibre system on the Bertoua-Batouri-Kentzou road section are located within

the bounds of the road and should therefore not be compensated for. However, in view of the African

Development Bank’s guidelines which provide that any person who lost a property should be entitled

to compensation. We consider all the persons whose property will be affected by the installation of the

optical fibre system including screeds, stairs and bare walls, will be eligible for compensation.

13

The deadline for eligibility was set as at the 31st day of December 2014. PAPs were informed during

the public consultations that were held in the same month of December.

5.3 Monitoring and Valuation

It behoves PMU to follow up on the implementation and Valuation of the ARP. The in-house socio-

economist will be specifically in charge of this dimension. In addition, the project implementation unit

staff will liaise with the focal points of the ministries in charge of social affairs and the advancement

of women and the MINAGRI to ensure monitoring of the project social impact and specifically that of

the ARP.

Monitoring considerations will focus on involvement, negotiation and compensation; rehabilitation

processes; resolution of all grievances and satisfaction of the PAPs.

The consulting firm which will be tasked with the Valuation of the project impact, will also

mainstream the ARP’s Valuation. In this capacity, they would be able to check the adequacy of the

implementation of the ARP with the goals set out, Cameroonian regulations and the Bank’s guidelines.

This consulting firm will thus be in a position to assess the satisfaction level of various categories of

the persons affected by the project in terms of the available compensation arrangements. The tasks

entrusted to the consulting firm with regard to the ARP will involve: (i) the conduct of sample surveys

with different categories of persons forming the population affected by the project and thereby

highlight the relevant degree of satisfaction and possible grievances; ii) and accordingly, the

assessment of the following points: organizational arrangements made for the ARP; alignment of

human and material resources with the goals set out under the plan; adequacy of internal

communication; consultancy and monitoring-assessment system coupled with the socio-economic

conditions of the people affected; Valuation of the implementation in the light of the commitments

made (compliance with the schedule); adequacy of the budgets anticipated to achieve the objectives of

the plan, and overspending or potential savings analysis; assessment of the fairness of compensation,

pending litigation and the risk incurred by the project because of such litigation; observation of the

level of release of rights-of way; Valuation of the level of replenishment and continuation of the

business activities by the PAPs.

The Bank’s monitoring assignments and oversight should also take this aspect into consideration. To

achieve this, the presence of an ONEC socio-economist will prove relevant.

14

6. SCHEDULE AND BUDGET

6.1 Schedule

The ARP implementation timeline is shown in the table below:

Activities

Month

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 24th

Project public interest statement issued by

MINDCAF.

Setting up of Commissions of Observation and

Valuation by the relevant local governors

Setting up of the contracting authority and

PMU for the Local Compensation and

Complaint Management Committee.

Recruitment of the NGO/Firm in charge of

preparing and implementing the

communication plan.

Preparation and implementation of the

communication plan

Proceedings of the Observation and Valuation

Commissions and submission of reports to

MINDCAF.

Preparation and signing of the Expropriation

Order by the MINDCAF

Competitive bidding and recruitment of the

company that will be tasked with rehabilitating

destroyed property.

Project implementation

Destroyed buildings rehabilitation execution.

ARP monitoring

ARP Valuation/Audit

6.2 Budget

The ARP budget for the project related to the laying of fibre optics along the Bertoua – Batouri –

Kentzou road section shall be CFA F 84 568 880 58, i.e. Euros 128 903.23. This amount can be

broken down as follows:

15

Heading Quantity Unit Cost in

CFAF

Total Cost in

CFAF

Total Cost in

Euros

Bertoua – Batouri section rehabilitation works 1 10 480 800 10 480 800 15 978.05

Batouri – Kentzou road section construction works 1 3 900 000 3 900 000 5 945.58

Mobilisation of the company responsible for the construction

works 1 6 000 000 6 000 000 9 147.04

Compensation for loss of incomes 26 x 10 days 25 000 6 500 000 9 909.18

Total Costs for rehabilitating destroyed property and compensation for loss of income 26 880 800 40 979.85

Operation of the Observation and Valuation Commissions FF 12 000 000 18 294.08

Operation of the Local Compensation and Complaints

Management Committee FF 13 000 000 19 818.58

Preparation and implementation of the Communication Plan FF 15 000 000 22 867.35

ARP monitoring and Valuation FF 10 000 000 15 224.90

Total recurrent costs related to Commissions and awareness campaigns 50 000 000 76 204.91

Total direct Costs 76 880 800 117 184.76

Contingencies 10% - 7 688 080 11 718.47

ARP TOTAL BUDGET 84 568 880 128 903.23

ARP will be funded through the financial resources allocated by the AfDB towards project financing.

REFERENCES AND CONTACT PERSONS

References

- Cameroon CAB project ESIA report;

- Abbreviated resettlement plan report.

Contacts

For any further information, please contact:

- Mr Kurt LONSWAY, Environment and Climate Change Division , (k.lonsway@afdb.org)

- Mr Modeste KINANE, Environment and Climate Change Division, (m.kinane@afdb.org)

- Mr P. Hassan SANON, Environment and Climate Change Division, (h.sanon@afdb.org)

- Mr Samatar OMAR ELMI, OITC.3 (s.omarelmi@afdb.org )