MINDEF arms forces with brand new service, intervention vehicles.

The equipment were handed over to beneficiary personnel and structures of defence and security forces during a ceremony at the 101 Military Airbase in Yaounde, Thursday.

The event was by the presence of the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, alongside other guests.

Also present were the Secretaries of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie and that of Ex-Servicemen and War Victims. Top brass of the military also high command led the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Rene Claude Meka also lived the brief ceremony.

In his address, Minister Beti Assomo said the move is in line with the resolve of the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Paul Biya, to improve the working conditions and operational capacity of the defence and security forces deployed across the national territory. 

He said the consignment of vehicles constitute the first of a two-phase order while the contract for the second acquisition of equal quantity has been awarded and measures taken to ensure its speedy delivery.

He disclosed that the brand new vehicles constitute the first of a two-phase order. Beti Assomo used the occasion to salute the collaboration and support of the ministers of the finance and that of the economy for respectively playing strategic roles in enabling the project to acquire the vehicles come to fruition. ‘

He detailed that the ceremony was specifically to hand over 227 specialized vehicles and equipment of the national fire brigade acquired thanks to funding granted by the BPI France on behalf of the French Treasury to the total sum of over 32 billion FCFA.

Of the 227 vehicles, he said 172 have already been delivered with just 37 vehicles and 4 boats on display. The minister used the occasion to salute the government of France for its cooperation in the important operation to upgrade the equipment.

He also lauded the role of other officials of the ministry who were involved in the acquisition process for delivering in their mission without any hitch. 

The minister said the ceremony also to showcase the 136 other brand new vehicles including 29 official and service vehicles, and 102 land cruiser light tactical vehicles acquired by the State.

He said the realization, authorised by the Head of State, is a "striking illustration of the constant high priority that the Head of State attaches to improving working conditions and strengthening the operational capacities of defence and security forces deployed throughout the country".

Beti Assomo said the move is part of an overall drive to modernise equipment and strengthen support for the country’s national defence system.

The minister said the new equipment will improve operational capacity of structures and units in response to increasing security demands across the country. 

He said the new equipment should be a vector of performance, efficiency and rapidity operation for performance in ensuring the security of citizens, their property and the territorial integrity of the country. 

The minister urged all beneficiaries to make proper use of the equipment to serve the purpose for which they are intended.

He said Military Security, SEMIL, and the National Gendarmerie follow up the circulation of the said vehicles to ensure they are not used for other purposes.

This, he said, to curb instances of vehicles with military identification numbers in front of building material stores to transport materials to construction sites that are not owned by the military, or vehicles seen in markets with wives of soldiers and children on the steering among others. 

He also urged beneficiaries to pay strict attention to prescribed usage guidelines in order to ensure the vehicles stay in good condition. 

Details of donated vehicles 

The Director of Combined Military Materials, Colonel Ondanga Japhet Sylvain, said the ceremony involved donation of 136 of Toyota mark destined for some personnel and training centres and 227 Renaud marked vehicles to help fire and disasters. 

Colonel Ondanga further detailed that the consignment for personnel comprises 3 Toyota Landcruiser, 29 Toyota 4x4, 104 Toyota land cruisers pickups.

For equipment to fight fire and disasters, he mentioned 36 trucks of 5,000 litres, 36 trucks of 10,000 litres, 6 camions, 5 vehicles for command posts, 4 camions of 30 metres, 8 circulation vehicles, 5 intervention vehicles, 42 vehicles for diverse intervention, 9 command vehicles, 9 medicalised ambulances, 46 transport ambulances, 28 loading vehicles of 6 metres, and three others of 10 metres for intervention. 

He said the vehicles are of various characteristics that meet the field demands for their operation purposes. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3555 of Friday September 05, 2025