Cameroon: Navigating the Nation's Deadliest Roads

The bravest drivers in Cameroon go by a name: the “Clandos.” Short for “clandestine,” these are illegal taxi drivers — and they’re the only ones willing to brave the country’s entire road network, one of the worst in all of Africa. Only 2% of the roads are paved. The rest? Cracked earth, mud pits, and broken paths that swallow vehicles whole during the rainy season. But Cameroonians have no other choice. With no real railway system and domestic flights both prohibitively expensive and notoriously unreliable, the “Clandos” are the last lifeline. Risking breakdowns, bandits, and treacherous terrain, they drive where no one else dares. In a country where infrastructure is a gamble, these outlaw drivers are the ones who keep everything moving.