The Minister of Communication, His Excellency Issa Tchiroma Bakary, on 4th August, 2015, held a press conference in Yaounde to edify media men on the situation of operations against Boko Haram following suicide attacks in the Far North Region.

“Distinguished Journalists,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to wish you all a warm welcome to this press conference to which I have invited you and to thank you for your prompt reaction.

Today’s agenda is focused on the situation of operations of our Defence and Security Forces, following the suicide attacks perpetrated by the Boko Haram terrorist organisation on last 12^th, 22^nd and 25^th July in the Far-North region.

You are all aware of the two suicide attacks perpetrated on Sunday 12^th July 2015 at about 7:00pm and 7:05pm in Fotokol, at the border with Nigeria leaving behind thirteen deaths and ten injured, including the two suicide bombers.

On Wednesday 22^nd July 2015 at about 2:30pm at the Bamaré neighbourhood at the entrance of the Maroua Central Market, two other suicide attacks occurred, leaving behind 13 deaths, including the suicide bombers and 32 injured.

Three days later, precisely on Saturday 25^th July 2015, another suicide attack occurred at the Pont Vert neighbourhood, still in Maroua town, leaving behind 21 deaths and 85 injured.

Following these successive tragedies, of an unprecedented cruelty, which created stir and shock within our populations, the Head of State, His Excellency Paul BIYA, instructed that strong measures be taken to hunt down, track down and boot out these criminals.

From 25^th July to 01^st August 2015, the results of special operations in terms of achievements and casualties carried out by our Defence and Security Forces under the supervision of Administrative Authorities are as follows:

Two young girls of 19 and 21 years respectively, were arrested in possession of two hand bags, containing explosive devices whose pictures I am going to present to you now.

In Maroua, three individuals were also arrested in possession of a plastic bag containing explosive devices. Their goal was to commit suicide attacks in a mosque.

In the course of these operations, the Defence and Security Forces benefited from the precious support of a motor taxi driver, who, at the expense of his life, diverted one of the suicide bombers from his final destination and took him to a police station of the town together with his explosive devices.

Allow me, at this stage, and on behalf of the Head of State to laud the bravery of this citizen, who, thanks to his collaboration with the forces of law and order, allowed saving many human lives and preserving many properties.

This citizen is undoubtedly highly considered by the Head of our Nation.

At Bogo, in the Diamaré Division, an operation of the local Gendarmerie led to the arrest of a Boko Haram terrorist and the seizure of one AK 47 type gun, 17 bullets of 7, 56 millimetres, a box shipper and two motorbikes.

At the Minawao refugee camp, four Boko Haram suspects were arrested and are currently being questioned.

Many sweep and control operations were carried out here and there. They resulted in the arrest of many suspects who are currently being questioned.

It should be noted that these operations carried out within the framework of the fight against terrorism, have also resulted in the arrest of various other criminals including escaped prisoners.

At the sidelines of these operations, more than three thousands illegal foreigners were arrested and directed to the Emi-immigration services of the National Security for their repatriation.

On Special Instructions of His Excellency the President of the Republic, specific investigations have been open and are ongoing.

According to first findings:

With regard to the authors, the identities of the two suicide bombers of 22^nd July 2015 are not yet revealed. Meanwhile, it is already known that the BARMARÉ suicide bomber was acting as a beggar. With regard to the suicide bomber of the Maroua Central Market, corroborating testimonies indicate that she was, together with her mother, also acting as a beggar. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the individual was behaving like a mad person.

As to the suicide bomber of 25^th July 2015, at the Pont Vert neighbourhood in Maroua, she was a young girl of about thirteen.

Regarding the nature of the explosive devices, the first investigations tend to reveal that the explosive devices used by the terrorists are of military nature, likely to have been recovered during the repeated attacks on military targets, or better still, acquired from countries facing armed conflicts and instability.

Searches carried out on the explosive devices seized during the special operations conducted by the Defence and Security Forces, will allow to give detailed information on the exact origin of these war devices.

For now, the findings carried out on the various areas of the suicide attacks led to the collection of diversified devices made up of belts used to support and transport the explosive devices, electric micro plate, electric cables as well as batteries serving as firing energy.

 Distinguished Journalists,

As you all can notice, the Government has taken strong measures to address the terrorist threat in the country in general, and in the Far-North region in particular which is mostly threaten.

The special operations instructed by the Head of State, His Excellency Paul BIYA, and conducted on the field by the Defence and Security Forces under the Coordination of Administrative Authorities, are yielding fruits. The fight will be intensified until the total eradication of the Boko Haram threat from our country is achieved.     

Allow me, on behalf of the Head of State, to once again urge on all Cameroonians in general, and those of the Far-North region in particular – be it political and intellectual elite, preachers, traditional rulers, quarter  heads, traders, public transporters, leaders of association and other social organisations - to double their vigilance, as well as to relentlessly collaborate, in loyalty and frankness with the administrative and the Defence and Security Forces, by reporting any information likely to track down Boko Harm and its accomplices wherever they may be found on our territory.

Allow me once again, and on behalf of the Government, to express my satisfaction with the favourable response of the population as far as the call of the Government is concerned. Many results obtained to date in the operations conducted by our Defence and Security Forces have for real been obtained thanks to the collaboration of the entire population. We should never forget it, that the Boko Haram criminals are merely acting out of cowardice, embarking on purely surprised attacks. Our Defence and Security Forces should therefore only be able to track down, arrest and defeat them through intelligence.

In the same vein, and on behalf of the Head of State, allow me to call on you never to give room for panic and to strongly and unfailingly oppose any resistance against this campaign of trauma and fear which this criminal Boko Haram sect is trying to inflict on our populations.

Let me also use this opportunity to call on media practitioners to be more responsible, by absolutely keeping away from exposing shocking images portraying dismembered or decomposed or bloodshed to the public, under the sole pretext of covering such tragic events.

Allow me to be clear that by so doing, we are unknowingly playing the game of Boko Haram, whose goal underpinning these cowardly and criminal attacks, is to spread out terror and install a climate of fear and psychosis within our populations.              

I am therefore counting, once again, on your citizenship commitment and sense of responsibility, as prescribed by the ethics and norms regulating your profession.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.”