Cameroon, Nigeria sign defense MoU to protect Southern borders.

The Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo, and the Nigerian Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, signed the deal on the instructions of both Heads of State. 

Present during the ceremony on the Cameroonian side was the Minister of External Relations, Mbella Mbella; the Minister of Territorial Administration, Atanga Nji Paul; the Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguele; Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie and top brass of the military. 

On the Nigerian side were the High Commissioner to Cameroon, the country’s Chief of Defence Staff and other high profile military officials.  

Both officials said the agreement will further consolidate existing defense ties between both countries for the protection of its 2,000-long kilometer border.

Minister Beti Assomo said the MoU “represents a significant milestone in the process of strengthening relations and military cooperation between our two countries”. 

He said the MoU will henceforth provide the framework for military operations within the strategic border area encompassing the conflict-hit North West and South West Regions of Cameroon. 

“It offers a valuable opportunity to consolidate existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms in the Northern zone implemented by the Trans-Border Security Committee established on 28 February 2012 in Abuja as part of the fight against Boko Haram. It will also make it possible to extend this initiative to the Southern zone, giving fresh impetus to the coordinated management of our common challenges,” Beti Assomo explained.

The minister also noted that the MoU signifies the attachment of the two Heads of States to intra-African cooperation and to the strengthening of the bonds of friendship and brotherhood.

He said both countries have synergize efforts to eradicate security threats including maritime piracy, illicit trafficking, and illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as the activities of armed terrorist groups along the borders. 

Beti Assomo said the deal comes to add to other cooperation between both nations in the field of defence in the Lake Chad Basin Commission through the Multi Multinational Joint Task Force and military training. 

Enter Nigerian defence minister 

On his part, the Nigerian Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, said the agreement is testament to the shared history between both nations, intertwined destinies and a bold declaration of their collective resolve to secure the peace and prosperity of their citizens. 

“The experts have deliberated clearly, looking at the challenges on the ground. The whole aim is to foster unity, brotherliness between both countries and ensure that we do not allow anybody to come and disrupt our peace. The essence is for us to secure our territories together, working together as a team," he stated. 

After yielding significant results in joint efforts in the Northern borders, added to rise of transnational terrorism, the Nigerian minister said it was but normal for both nations to cast their strategic gaze Southwards. 

“The security challenges along our Southern border require a dedicated and specific framework of cooperation, as underscored by recent high-level security assessment missions to Cameroon. This MoU is designed to combat criminality and protect our territorial integrity along the Southern border. We recognise that criminal and separatist elements do not respect international borders; they exploit them to evade justice,” he stated. 

The Nigerian defence minister said the agreement will establish a robust mechanism for enhanced intelligence sharing, joint operations and patrols to prevent threats before they materialize.

He said both nations, are through the MoU, also joining efforts against piracy, oil theft, bunkering, and illegal arms trafficking that plagues the Gulf of Guinea.

The MoU, the minister detailed, establishes the necessary legal and institutional framework building on the network for the trans-border security committee to ensure seamless cooperation between security agencies of both nations. 

“By signing this MoU, we affirm that the security of Nigeria and Cameroon is inseparable. We will pool our resources, share our intelligence, and stand shoulder to shoulder to defend our people…we are committed to this partnership and look forward to a future of peace, stability for our two nations and our region,” he stated. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post No 3820 Wednesday, June 17, 2026