Cameroon

Is Cameroon safe to visit?

Partly. Cameroon is two countries for a traveller. Yaoundé, Douala, the beaches around Kribi and much of the south and centre are visited by business travellers and some tourists, with big-city crime as the main risk. The North-West and South-West, where an armed separatist conflict has run since 2017, and the Far North, where Boko Haram operates, are areas the US says not to visit for any reason. We score Cameroon 49, ahead of Mozambique and Nigeria and well above its neighbours Chad and the Central African Republic.

The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary for the country as a whole is Level 2, "exercise increased caution", last updated on 15 May 2026. It rises to Level 4 for the three conflict regions and for land within 20 km of the borders with Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic.

The Anglophone regions and the Far North

In the English-speaking North-West and South-West regions, separatist armed groups and security forces have fought repeatedly. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says armed groups use roadside bombs against civilians, civilians have been killed at checkpoints run by both sides, and curfews and bans on public meetings apply in some areas. Separatists enforce "ghost town" strikes every Monday. The UK advises against all travel to both regions, including Buea and Mount Cameroon, with Limbé the only partial exception.

In the Far North, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) carry out attacks and kidnappings, and the use of roadside bombs rose in 2023. The UK advises against all travel to the region except the area around Maroua. Gangs also kidnap for ransom in the North, Adamawa and East regions, and highway bandits have taken hostages near the Central African Republic border. The FCDO warns that attacks could happen anywhere, including Yaoundé and Douala, where explosive devices have also been found.

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Cameroon 137th of 163, five places better than a year earlier.

Politics after the 2025 election

On 27 October 2025 the Constitutional Council declared Paul Biya, then 92 and in power since 1982, the winner of the 12 October presidential election with 53.66% of the vote. His main rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, had already declared himself the winner. Human Rights Watch reported that at least four people were killed, allegedly by security forces, dozens were injured and hundreds arrested as protests spread through Douala, Yaoundé, Garoua and Maroua; the regional governor said security forces had been attacked. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says protests can break out without warning, so avoid rallies and crowds.

Crime in Yaoundé and Douala

Armed robbery and mugging are the main risk in the cities. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary names Briqueterie and the Mokolo market area in Yaoundé, and New Bell, Akwa, Bonabéri, Village and Nkololun in Douala, as places to avoid. Shared yellow taxis pick up strangers along the way, and passengers have been assaulted and robbed in them; book a taxi through your hotel instead. Theft is common on coaches, bush taxis and around bus stations.

Scams target people outside the country too. The FCDO says advance-fee fraud is common, including fake adoption offers; Cameroon has no adoption agencies.

Roads and health

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 10.6 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, though its older 2019 series put the rate at 30.2, so the roads may be worse than the newer figure suggests. Roads are potholed and unlit, many vehicles have poor lights, and crashes are common on the main Yaoundé-Douala highway. Avoid driving at night, especially outside the cities. Police and gendarmes run frequent roadblocks and may invent offences to ask for small bribes; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary suggests asking for a written ticket instead. The UK also advises against flights on the Xian MA-60, which is sometimes used on domestic routes.

CDC recommends malaria tablets, and yellow fever vaccination is required to enter. Cholera has been reported recently in the Far North. Emergency care is extremely limited even in the big cities; call 112 for an ambulance and carry insurance that covers evacuation to Europe.

How to stay safe

• Keep to Yaoundé, Douala, Kribi and the south, and check the UK and US area maps before any road trip north or west.
• Carry ID at all times, and do not wear camouflage clothing, which is illegal for civilians.
• Do not photograph military sites, government buildings, airports or ports.
• Same-sex sexual acts are illegal, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says couples have been arrested and prosecuted.

How we scored it

Conflict (30) and health (33) are the weakest factors. Roads (67) are scored on WHO's 2021 estimate of 10.6 deaths per 100,000, well below the older 2019 figure, so treat that score with caution. Natural hazards (62) and violent crime (60) score highest; the 2022 homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary is moderate, but kidnapping and armed robbery pull the crime score to the bottom of its band. The weighted average is 49; our cap of conflict plus 35 (65) does not bind.