Hailed as one of the flagship projects for economic integration in Central Africa, the future railway linking Cameroon to Chad is already facing its first political turbulence. On 4 June, at the Unity Palace, the steering committee for strategic projects chaired by Cameroon’s head of state validated the rail corridor intended to connect Ngaoundéré to N’Djamena via Garoua, Figuil, Maroua and Kousséri before crossing the Chadian border to reach the neighbouring capital.

The route, presented by Cameroonian authorities as the most economically, technically and territorially sound, is meant to extend Cameroon’s rail network toward the Sahel and reinforce the country’s role as the maritime gateway for landlocked Central Africa. However, the announcement triggered an immediate reaction from Chadian authorities.

In a statement issued a few days later, Chad’s Ministry of Transport recalled that no definitive route had yet been jointly approved by both states. N’Djamena expressed its disapproval of what it saw as a premature decision, insisting that several options remained under discussion in the context of bilateral studies and consultations. This disagreement, far from being minor, reveals the fragility surrounding the governance of major cross-border projects in the subregion.

A major project for regional integration

The project’s ambition is considerable. Stretching more than 900 kilometres according to various preliminary studies, the future railway line is designed to directly connect Cameroon’s network to Chad, a landlocked country where over 80% of external trade passes through the Douala-N’Djamena corridor. The infrastructure is part of the regional strategy to develop multimodal corridors promoted by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and supported by several international technical and financial partners. Its cost is estimated at several billion dollars, making it one of the largest infrastructure investments ever considered between the two countries. Ultimately, the railway should facilitate the transport of hydrocarbons, cotton, livestock, cereals, construction materials and containerised goods from the ports of Douala and Kribi. Project promoters also hope to reduce logistics costs, improve business competitiveness and smooth trade flows across the entire Cameroon-Chad basin.

A strategic project for two complementary economies

For both Cameroon and Chad, the stakes go far beyond railway transport alone. Landlocked Chad depends heavily on the Cameroonian corridor for its foreign trade. A significant portion of its imports already transits through the port of Douala before being trucked to N’Djamena. This logistics dependency has been a major factor of economic vulnerability for decades.

The arrival of rail could profoundly change the situation

According to several studies conducted in recent years, a modern rail link would significantly reduce logistics costs, speed up goods movement, and improve the competitiveness of businesses in both countries. It would also offer a more sustainable alternative to road transport, whose maintenance costs remain high and performance often affected by weather conditions. For Cameroon, the project also represents an opportunity to further enhance the port infrastructure of Douala and Kribi by strengthening their role as natural gateways to the Sahelian hinterland. Thus the stakes are considerable: creating a true economic corridor capable of increasing trade, attracting industrial investment and fostering local raw material processing.

Behind the route, a battle for economic spin-offs

While the debate may appear to be about a simple routing question, the real issues lie elsewhere. The route validated by Yaoundé favours crossing the far north of Cameroon before reaching N’Djamena. This option serves several national objectives. First, it would further open up Cameroon’s northern regions, which often face infrastructure deficits. It would also promote the development of logistics, commercial and industrial hubs in cities like Garoua, Maroua or Kousséri. For the Cameroonian government, this is as much a land-use planning tool as a transport project.

But from the Chadian side, the interpretation is different

N’Djamena believes the currently favoured route does not adequately serve its national economy. Several Chadian officials advocate for a variant that would better reach certain agricultural and productive areas of the country, ensuring that the future corridor’s benefits are not limited to the capital. This divergence illustrates a reality often seen in regional projects: each state naturally seeks to maximise economic returns on its own territory. The rail is not just infrastructure; it determines the future location of investments, logistics platforms, industrial zones and service activities. Choosing a route essentially distributes development opportunities for decades.

Regional integration tested by national sovereignty

The episode also highlights the persistent difficulties of economic integration in Central Africa. Despite favourable rhetoric on regional cooperation, major infrastructure projects are still often designed from a primarily national perspective. Yet the economic viability of a cross-border corridor depends precisely on its ability to serve the interests of all stakeholders. International experience shows that successful regional infrastructure generally relies on shared governance mechanisms from the design phase. Decisions on financing, routes, technical standards and operations are then taken jointly to ensure political buy-in from all partners.

Without that, the risks of deadlock increase considerably

The Cameroon-Chad railway case arises at a time when several African countries are seeking to strengthen