750 Cameroonian soldiers and gendarmes took the commitment in separate ceremonies chaired by Defence Minister in Douala and Awae on July 21 and 22, 2016.

After Douala on July 21, the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo, on July 22, 2016, proceeded to Awae, in the Mefou and Afamba Division of the Centre Region to preside over the signing of contracts of Cameroon’s military personnel for the United Nations Multinational Integrated Stabilisation Force in Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Some 302 elements of the National Gendarmerie signed individual engagement contracts at the International School of Security Forces (EIFORCES) in Awae where they are currently undergoing training ahead of the peace-keeping mission, to make up a total of 750 soldiers for the Cameroonian contingent that begins in August 2016.

Addressing the gendarmes, the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, said the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces dispatched him to inform the soldiers about measures taken to ensure serenity in the Cameroonian contingent in MINUSCA that has troops from several other countries. Apart from signing individual contracts, the bonuses for the soldiers have been reviewed upward from FCFA 250,000 to FCFA 450,000 monthly per person.

These measures, Beti Assomo stressed, are intended to pre-empt the September 9, 2015, ugly scene where some soldiers of the Cameroonian contingent to MINUSCA took to the streets in Yaounde, creating panic among the population. The Defence Minister admonished the troops against indiscipline and acts that tarnish the image of Cameroon. “Your behaviour should be exemplary in all dimensions”, he told the soldiers while stating that any unwarranted conduct shall be sanctioned according to regulations. He praised the National Gendarmerie for the sense of discipline and urged officers and men to keep up the spirit.