At New Year wishes ceremony: Gendarmerie boss restates institution’s commitment to promoting peace, stability.

He made the declaration in Yaounde Tuesday. This was during a joint New Year wishes and Ceremony of Arms event. Galax Etoga said 2025 was a hugely successful year for the Gendarmerie. 

He said the Gendarmerie amongst other things succeeded in facilitating the smooth organisation of the 2025 presidential election and carried out several other law maintenance operations within and without the country.

He assured that the structure will continue performing its assigned duties especially in tackling threats to peace and stability. This, he stated, will be in line with the vision of the Head of State, Paul Biya.

Galax Etoga noted that Biya in his December 31, 2025, address to the nation referenced growing attacks on State authorities, the non-respect of the rule of law and the growing tendency of violence in both speech and behaviours as issues that need to be addressed. He assured that the Gendarmerie will contribute to arrest the issues.

“This is our mission. The structures and units of the National Gendarmerie will, therefore, demonstrate rigour and firmness to counter all deleterious and pernicious attempts to weaken the republican fabric,” he declared.

Other 2026 priorities 

The Gendarmerie boss also announced that the institution will be engaged in other strategic operations. He noted that one of the strategic areas of intervention will be the forthcoming legislative and municipal elections.

Internally, Galax Etoga said the institution will continue to work on other programmes outlined over the years. He mentioned the continuation of work on the Agro-Pastoral and Aquacultural Operations Programme in Ndjore, Mbandjock in Upper Sanaga Division of the Centre Region.

The project, he said, is aimed at developing a gendarmerie that is productive in line with government’s import substitution policy 

He also mentioned the creation of the Motorized Road Corridor Fluidity Patrol and the implementation of the digital payment system for fixed fines in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.

Galax Etoga stated that the measure aims to strengthen the fight against unethical practices and obstacles linked to the free movement of people and goods.

He said the institution will equally proceed with the effective occupation of life bases transferred to the National Gendarmerie in Ombessa in the Centre Region and Tibati in the Adamawa Region. 

In this light, he announced the relocation of certain mobile units, and the establishment of a Combat Readiness Center in the northern part of the country.

He said the institution will equally proceed with the operational launch of the Digital Command Center at the central level and the launch of similar centers at the regional levels. 

The Secretary of State equally announced the construction of a technical and scientific police laboratory in Yaounde.

Zoom on 2025 successes 

He also mentioned the multiple special operations that the institution carried across the national territory in its bid to ensure law and order.

Among them, he mentioned Operation Adano that was carried out in the Adamawa and North regions, Operation Tentacules that was executed in semiurban zones and rural areas and Operation Seresco that was carried out in the North West and South West Regions.

The Gendarmerie bosss said the operations among others led to the arrest of many gang members and the dismantling of criminal networks. 

Other gains, he said, were the seizure of weapons and other prohibited tools as well as the release of civilians who had been kidnapped by criminals.

He said road accidents also reduced highly due to the sophisticated road safety operations by the gendarmerie.

Galax Etoga said in the course of the year, the Gendarmerie also consolidated its drive of continuously improving the skills and wellbeing of personnel.

This, he said, was through the organisation of capacity building workshops, the construction of new infrastructural facilities and the distribution of strategic machines to different units.

He stated that the various operations which add to the deployment of 3000 non-commissioned personnel on the ground and contributed to the maintenance of peace in Africa.

The official mentioned the deployment of police units in the Central African Republic, CAR, and individual police officers in other foreign operations.

Galax Etoga stated that the 52,000 applications received as part of the ongoing operation to recruit 3,340 under-commissioned and student gendarmes strongly translates the attractiveness of the institution to young people. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3687 of Wednesday January 28, 2026