Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) expressed concern over recurrent acts of sabotage against its fibre infrastructure in the capital, Yaounde, which have resulted in massive internet service outages.
Unidentified individuals destroyed critical telecoms infrastructure, including overhead fibre optic cables and distribution boxes, in the most recent attack, which occurred overnight on July 13 and 14.
According to a statement released by the telco yesterday, this is the third such incident in less than a month, with similar attacks on June 25 and July 10.
Camtel said three sub-distribution boxes were entirely destroyed, resulting in an internet blackout for the whole Mfou zone.
The disruption impacted a wide range of users, including schools, businesses, healthcare providers, and households.
Images released by the company show poles tampered with, wires severed, and underground installations dug up or destroyed.
The telco condemned the destruction and stated that it had contacted law enforcement and judicial authorities to locate and prosecute the culprits.
The organisation emphasised that all available technical resources have been deployed to restore service as soon as possible.
The state-run telecom operator has also apologised to its customers for the inconvenience and reaffirmed its commitment to the quality, dependability, and security of its infrastructure throughout the country.
“The national telecommunications network is a strategic asset serving the economic, social, and institutional life of Cameroon,” the statement added, noting that safeguarding telecom infrastructure is a collective responsibility.
No group has taken credit for the vandalism. Camtel’s general manager, Judith Yah Sunday Achidi, revealed in May that recurrent concerted vandalism against its key infrastructure, particularly the national optic fibre backbone, is sometimes carried out by its own staff.
