Cameroon - February 2025

Cameroon’s government has closed dozens of churches in the country’s capital, Yaoundé, as part of a major operation to shut down unauthorised places of worship. The operation was launched in the fourth district of Yaoundé in mid-February, and by the end of the month 188 of the 615 churches in the district were reported to have been closed, with revivalist churches particularly affected. In justifying the action, officials cited public complaints about noise pollution, fraud and abuses against congregants. Under a policy of ‘administrative tolerance’, the government had previously allowed hundreds of unregistered churches to operate. The power to approve the registration of religious associations in Cameroon lies with the president and, according to the Ministry of Territorial Administration, only 48 denominations have been registered since 1952, with the most recent of these occurring in 2020. Hundreds of registration applications are thought to be pending presidential approval.       

Sources: Jeune Afrique, Voice of America, US State Department, Ministry of Territorial Administration, Actu Cameroun