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The stampede that killed eight people on Monday in Yaoundé before a CAN match was due to the “reckless” opening of a stadium gate by the security forces “in the face of a human tide”, the official said on Friday. Cameroonian Minister of Sports. The latter also acknowledged that the number of members of the security forces was “insufficient”.
The stampede that killed eight people on Monday in Yaoundé before a match of the African Cup of Nations is due to the “reckless” opening of a door by the security forces “Faced with a human tide”, declared Friday January 28 the Cameroonian Minister of Sports.
The southern entrance “was temporarily closed by the police in the face of the surge of spectators while other doors were operational” at the large Olembé stadium in the Cameroonian capital, assured Narcisse Mouelle Kombi to the press.
But, “faced with the pressure and overwhelmed by this human tide, the security elements proceeded in a reckless manner to open the gate of the South entrance, causing a great jostling” which resulted in the “tragic” death of eight people, including a child and two women, he continued.
The security forces in “insufficient” number
The minister acknowledged that the number of members of the security forces was “insufficient”. But he also blamed the holders of counterfeit and used tickets as well as the supporters who wanted to enter without a ticket, to justify this influx in front of the South door.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, which also left 38 injured, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe announced the trip to the quarter-finals scheduled for Sunday at the Olembé stadium in the second stadium of the capital, Ahmadou Ahidjo.
He also announced that CAF would not allow other matches to be played there if the Cameroonian authorities did not present him with an investigation report before Friday.
Patrice Motsepe had already indicated on Tuesday that the jostling was linked to the closing of one of the stadium’s access gates. He had deemed this decision “inexplicable”. “If this door had been opened as it should have been, we would not have had the problem that we have now, these losses of life. Who closed this door? Who is responsible for this door?” he hammered in front of the press.
With AFP