Defence Minister, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o chaired the event in Yaounde on July 5.
Six senior officials of the French military cooperation in Cameroon who had come to the end of their mission were awarded recognition medals in Yaounde on July 5, 2013. President Paul Biya in two separate decrees on April 18, 2013 decided on the recognition awards.
The Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o pinned medals of the Knight of the Order of Valour on two deserving colonels. The Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence in Charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean-Baptiste Bokam and the Secretary of State in charge of Ex-servicemen and War Victims, Koumpa Issa pinned the medals of the Knight of the Order of Merit on the four other officials. This was in the presence of the Defence Attaché who doubles as the Head of the Cooperation Mission in the French Embassy in Cameroon, Colonel Charles de Kersabiec. He represented the French Ambassador, Bruno Gain.
Defence Minister, Mebe Ngo’o saluted staff of the French cooperation mission for contributing to the bilateral military cooperation, thereby consolidating friendship and fruitful cooperation ties binding the two countries. He said the medals were President Paul Biya’s recognition of their contribution. They further testified government recognition and determination to further work to strengthen friendship relations. Through the cooperation, Defence Minister said, the French government is stepping up efforts to develop and diversify military and defence cooperation through areas such as logistics, promotion of higher military studies and training of Cameroonian military staff.
The Defence Attaché at the French Embassy welcomed the medals that come to consolidate partnership. He expressed the commitment of his country to implement military agreements that went into force on August 1, 2012. Cooperation he said, was important in tackling the upsurge of international crisis such as in Mali, the Central African Republic and even kidnappings like that of the family of French tourists in Dabanga in Far North Cameroon.
