Growth of Cameroonian cities is a matter of concern for local authorities, as they house about
49.2 % of the total national population and as nothing is done in terms of equipment and job
creation to welcome new migrants. That is the case of Bertoua in the eastern part of Cameroon.
Created in the 1927 by the Mbaya ethnic groups which are also found in the nearest Central
Republic country, Bertoua is located between 040
34’
30’’ North and 130
41’
03’’ East. Formerly a
hamlet, Bertoua was for many years the field of a difficult battle between the local population
and Europeans during the independence war. The city became the headquarters of the eastern
province in the 1960s. Today, the city acts as a nodal point for traders from or to the Central
Republic, Chad and the Congo Republic. Like other Cameroonian cities, Bertoua has
experienced a rapid growth of its population: from 17,232 inhabitants in 1976, to 43,402
inhabitants in 1987 and nearly 150,000 in 2006. Unfortunately, national and local authorities
were unable to provide residents with suitable infrastructure and job opportunities. Even though
there were jobs offered in the formal sector, these new migrants are very often without any
professional qualifications. Thus, they have been obliged to devote themselves to street sale
activities as they have to survive rather than to return to their home villages. This research aims
to show how Bertoua residents have dedicated themselves to street activities in a context of
crisis, of economic liberalisation and of rapid growth of the city. The data presented below come
from diverse sources: i) from archives of the public services; and ii) from direct surveys carried
out in 2006. The main finding of this study is that demographic growth in the eastern part of
Cameroon has led to the development of informal economic activities which are theoretically out
of the control by the government. The development of this informal economy is very evident in
the economic life of Bertoua. These informal activities are of a significant social importance as
they help city dwellers to survive. However, these informal activities are: i) blamed as they
contribute to fiscal civic irresponsibility; and ii) seen as an environmental stressor as many of
them contribute to water and soil pollution, and to the disappearance of the urban land cover.