A three-volume publication depicting its achievements in 50 years has been published.

After an opulent celebration in Bamenda, North West Region in December 2010, Cameroon’s Defence Forces are once again on the fore with a publication by the Ministry of Defence of a three-volume document on 50 years of achievements of the army.

Prefaced by the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Paul Biya and a foreword by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o, the three books, Volumes I, II and III, with a superbly designed hard cover that carries the country’s national colours, green, red and yellow depict how vital the Armed Forces have been to the country since the eve of independence.

And as the President puts it in Volume I which traces the history of the Cameroon Army from birth to the end of the 1976 rebellion, “Scientific and technological advances and the attendant development warrant a proactive vision in order to adapt to new changes. It is against this backdrop that I introduced far-reaching reforms in 2001 which take this new order into account and which is marked by the three-pronged goal of modernisation, rejuvenation and professionalisation.”

In order that present and future generations remain conversant with the great transition periods witnessed by the Defence Forces during their own history, informative details nd pictures have been included for posterity in the three-volume document. From the appraisal of stakes prior to independence and the emergence of the national armed forces in Volume I, to post-rebellion major challenges, formulation of Cameroon defence policy and ascendancy of the Cameroon Army in Volume II, the raison d’être is the same; showcasing the road covered and the might of the armed forces in the protection of person and property as their quota to nation building.

Volume II on the Cameroon Army from past rebellion to major reforms, also invigorates national sovereignty and territorial integrity demonstrated by narratives and photos of the President with erstwhile Nigerian President, Olesegun Obasanjo and UN Secretary General Koffi Anan as both parties sought to resolve the Bakassi Crisis. Volume III on the Cameroon Army 2001 till date, focuses on far-reaching reforms, the Cameroon Army as an instrument at the service of the nation’s development, challenges faced, the way forward as well as the Golden Jubilee of the army.