GEOGRAPHY

The village of Bekoko was founded in 1901 following the exodus of the large Bwamakala family from the village of Bomono ba Mbengue, after multiple social conflicts with the village chief. This village has become a large multicultural community due to its geographical location at the crossroads of the South-West, West, and North-West regions in the western suburbs of the city of Douala.

The climate is dry and humid equatorial with two seasons: a dry season from mid-November to the end of March and a rainy season from the end of March to mid-November. The soils are hydromorphic near waterways and ferralitic with a clay-sandy texture on the plains. They are suitable for agriculture. Temperatures are high and stable throughout the year, generally ranging between 25°C and 30°C. There are no major seasonal variations in heat.

The village of Bekoko has a dense and dynamic hydrographic network, typical of the Mungo region, consisting of the Mungo River: This is the main hydrographic arteGry of the region, crisscrossed by numerous streams, rivers, and creeks that flow into it, as well as wetlands.

Bekoko comprises the main village located at the Bekoko interchange and two important secondary districts, namely Yato, home to the Camwater treatment plant, and the Moulanga valley, where Camwater's water intake is located upstream of the bridge over the Mungo River and the Kadji Sports Academy is located downstream of the bridge.

The main village of Bekoko is crossed by the old National Road No. 5 Douala-Bafoussam, and the Yato-Moulanga neighborhood is crossed by National Road No. 3 Douala-Limbe.

The map on the following page shows the geography of the village, which is home to a growing number of diverse industries, including Camwater, Olam, Soticam, Soproicam, Ciments Colle, Société Africaine des Saveurs, etc., various complexes (Kadji Sports Academy), a bakery and pastry shop, gas stations, SOCAPALM plantations, and sand mining operations on the Moungo River.

The main village has a public school, several private schools, a bilingual high school offering general education, an integrated health center, several churches, small carpentry and metalworking shops, small businesses, etc.

Activity is increasing with population growth and migration flows from Douala to the suburbs and the NOSO regions.

POPULATION

The following table, taken from the March 2019 diagnostic report on the Dibombari Land Use Plan, provides demographic statistics for Bekoko.

2.8% annual growth:  2005     2018     2023     2028     2033     2035

Bekoko village:   186 265 304 348        340  350

Bekoko-Yato:            535 765 878    1007   1156      1190

Bekoko Total:              721       1032      1182      1355      1496      1540

Population of Dibombari   17141   24544    28178   32350    37140   39249

(Source : RPGH)

The main village has a large population with medium to high incomes, which explains the growing demand for socio-economic development infrastructure, namely well-maintained roads, public lighting, commercial space, household waste collection, extension of the energy network and upgrading of energy equipment, the expansion and upgrading of health center facilities, etc.