A new customs mission to assess and strengthen transit operations between Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic has been launched, with fieldwork set to begin on April 21, 2026 at the ports of Douala and Kribi. The initiative was confirmed on Monday, 20 April, during a meeting between Director General of Customs Fongod Edwin Nuvaga and Bernard Zbinden, Resident Adviser in customs administration at AFRITAC Centre, the IMF’s African Regional Technical Assistance Centre for Central Africa.
According to information made public by Customs, the mission will evaluate how goods in transit are handled to and from Chad and the Central African Republic, with a focus on securing suspended customs duties and improving the flow of trade. It also aims to prepare the ground for the implementation of SIGMAT, the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit, across the CEMAC zone.
Officials say the work is being carried out in line with regional obligations under the 2019 CEMAC Customs Code and the harmonized CEMAC-CEEAC Customs Code, which came into force on October 18, 2024. The three countries are also advancing commitments under the African Continental Free Trade Area to facilitate and harmonize trade flows.
Zbinden outlined the legal framework guiding the process and the need for alignment among member states.
“The members of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa and the Economic Community of Central African States, including Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic, are required to apply the customs transit provisions set out in the 2019 CEMAC Customs Code and the harmonized code in force since October 2024,” he said.
In 2024, Central African customs authorities agreed on the principle of interconnecting their IT systems and exchanging data to secure and simplify transit procedures. This approach is expected to be implemented through SIGMAT, which is designed to enable tracking of goods and coordination between customs administrations.
Pending a formal agreement between CEMAC and ECOWAS, Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic have already linked their systems and introduced joint transit procedures. Chadian and Central African customs units have also been deployed at the ports of Douala and Kribi to oversee transit operations.
Zbinden said these interim arrangements have improved monitoring but still fall short of the regional SIGMAT standard.
“The generalization of SIGMAT in Central Africa requires stronger leadership from the CEMAC Commission, particularly regarding access to the system developed with the support of technical and financial partners,” he said.
“While awaiting a formal agreement, the current interconnections improve monitoring but do not yet correspond to the standardized SIGMAT framework envisaged at regional level,” he added.
According to officials, the mission will include a review of existing practices within Cameroon’s customs administration, as well as those of Chadian and Central African units operating at both ports. It will also assess challenges identified during previous AFRITAC Centre support missions and organize technical discussions between the three administrations.
Experts will examine how to optimize interoperability between Cameroon’s CAMCIS system and the SYDONIA World platform used by Chad and the Central African Republic. Recommendations are expected to focus on aligning procedures with regional legal frameworks and strengthening coordination in transit operations.
The mission is scheduled to conclude on 30 April 2026, with expected outcomes including improved understanding of SIGMAT, documented challenges in current transit systems and validated measures for implementation by customs authorities.
Mercy Fosoh
