Biya hails 9th Cameroonian contingent from MINUSCA for professionalism.

The satisfaction of the President of the Republic was transmitted to the returning contingent by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo.

This was during a ceremony to hand over the standard by the 9^th Cameroonian contingent, which he presided on the instructions of the Head of State. The event took place at the ceremonial ground of the Headquarters Brigade, in Yaounde Friday October 20. 

The returning contingent, which was honoured over the weekend, it should be said, left the country a year ago for the Central African Republic, which was still experiencing security upheavals in some parts of the country. 

The peacekeepers had, prior to their deployment, undergone rigorous training in accordance with international standards, earning them the compliments of the United Nations. 

Enter MINDEF boss 

In his address, Minister Beti Assomo said the symbolism of the flag handing over ceremony marks the heroic homecoming of the Cameroonian Battalion, which he said “fulfilled its noble mission of promoting peace and revitalising institutions” in Central African Republic.

“The soldiers and gendarmes whose return we are celebrating today have done their best to restore peace to the Central African Republic and to protect its civilian population. It was not a journey of pleasure or relaxation. There was no shortage of risks and dangers during their mission. They faced them with honour and loyalty, with discipline and respect for the rules of the mission,” Minister Beti Assomo said. 

The member of government said the 9th Cameroonian contingent returning from MINUSCA, through their security of towns and other localities in their area of ​​operation as well as your civil-military actions in the field brought honour to Cameroon.

Minister Beti Assomo addressing returning contingent during ceremony 

“Thanks to your actions, our country will continue to enjoy an enviable reputation in this mission. I would like to convey to the entire Battalion and the Police Units gathered here the heartfelt congratulations of the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Paul Biya, for the excellent manner in which you carried out your mission in the Central African Republic,” the minister added. 

Cases of deplorable behaviour to be punished 

Minister Beti Assomo, however, regretted some cases of deplorable behaviour noticed during their mission. 

He stated categorically that the satisfaction of the Head of State, “in no way absolves” them of the “isolated cases of deplorable behaviour”.

“The disciplinary and even financial proceedings initiated against the perpetrators are continuing, and will result in sanctions commensurate with the proven faults committed,” Beti Assomo said. 

Commander of 9^th Cameroonian contingent from MINUSCA, Garanssou Clément, speaking to reporters 

Call to continue serving in honour & loyalty

Minister Beti Assomo called on the returning contingent to be “examples of altruism, solidarity, humanism and availability to their Commander-in-Chief and the local population”. 

“After MINUSCA and CAR, you are once again called upon to serve throughout the country, wherever the need arises. You must commit yourselves with the same abnegation, the same sense of duty, the same discipline and the same dedication, this time on behalf of the country and its people,” he told the returning contingent.

Cameroon committed to peacekeeping 

The ceremony, it should be said, comes barely weeks after the 10^th Cameroonian contingent was deployed in the same theatre of operations in CAR. 

Minister Beti Assomo said it further demonstrates the firm determination of the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to make the participation of our Defence and Security Forces in Peacekeeping Operations in general, and in MINUSCA in particular, increasingly dynamic and effective.

Beti Assomo said under the instructions of President Biya, “Cameroon is resolutely committed to peacekeeping”.

He recalled that since 2008, Cameroon has deployed more than 12,000 peacekeepers around the world, making it one of the top 20 contributors of UN troops. 

The icing on the cake, Minister Beti Assomo said, is the recent creation on September 4, 2023, of the Motcheboum Peacekeeping Operations Training School, a UN centre of excellence in the field of peacekeeping operations training.

The centre, he said, will host foreign contingents preparing for deployment.

Cross section of returning peacekeepers marching during ceremony 

UN hails returning contingent 

Speaking to reporters after handing over the flag to Minister Beti Assomo, the Commander of the 9th contingent from MINUSCA, Colonel Garanssou Clément, said their mission was generally very good.

This, Colonel Garanssou said, is based on the letter of appreciation of their UN hierarchy at the end of their mission. 

He said throughout the mission, the Cameroonian contingent “respected UN principles”.

Colonel Garanssou said their biggest challenge was to avoid acts of misconduct which could tarnish the image of the country during the mission. 

The brief ceremony ended with a military march past. Troops at the ceremony were commanded by the Chief of Staff at the First Joint Military Region, Colonel Ekoman Ekoman Andre. 

It was attended by the Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of Ex-Servicemen and War Victims, the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence, Generals, other top brass of the military, special guests as well as family members of the returning contingent.