Situated on the intersection of the Yaounde-Douala-Kribi highway, Edea city in the Littoral Region doesn’t only tell colonial history. The Sanaga River is source of livelihood and a medium of communication with ancestors.

he first thing that comes to mind after a bird’s eye view of Edea city, headquarter of Sanaga Maritime Division, Littoral Region, is its cultural plurality. Ancient buildings and transport infrastructure evoke colonial history. The metallic bridge over the Sanaga River, for example, is a German relic. Until 1980, the colonial bridge that is crying for refurbishment, was used by cars, train and pedestrians. Edea is also an industrial town.

Popularly referred to as the city of light, Edea was the first town, as history holds, to be electrified following the construction and operationalization of the hydroelectric plant. Together with the Song Loulou plant, they supply 80 percent of Cameroon’s electricity. Aluminium Company (ALUCAM) is equally implanted here. River Sanaga is not only a source of livelihood to the over 122,000 inhabitants spread across 180Km square surface area.

Residents use the water body to fish, fetch sand, but also as a means to communicate with ancestors. Indigenes used the occasion of the recent 71st edition of the annual Mpo’o festival, celebrated around the river, to exhibit their rich cultural diversity. A visitor would be considered not to have been to the Bassa land if he/she doesn’t show proof of souvenirs like “Mintumba”, coconut, plantain chips, and bitter kola, among others. Edea is a place to visit this weekend.