Reintegration of female ex-fighters: Colombia in Y’de to tap from Cameroon’s expertise.

The Colombian delegation arrived Yaounde at the start of the week for an official working visit.

The delegation is headed by the Advisor of the National Planning Department in Colombia, Hilda Maria Ferro Valencia. The visiting delegation and officials of the NDDRC met on Monday, July 20, to share good practices in the sustainable reintegration of women and girls from the DDR Centres. 

The meeting was chaired by the National Coordinator of the NDDRC, Francis Fai Yengo. In his remark during the meeting, he applauded the Colombians for their interest in the activities of the NDDRC. 

He further pointed that the handling of women and girls in DDR Centres in Cameroon is deeply rooted in the DDR Gender Strategy Document (2021-2025), with a revision of the document on course.

On her part, the head of the Columbian delegation explained that their presence in Cameroon is to exchange ideas and share experiences with the CNDDR, especially regarding the handling of female ex-combatants. 

She pointed that their delegation is interested in see how women are cared for in the centres and how those who have been reintegrated into the society are getting on with their activities, as well as how they are getting on within their communities.

The Head of Colombian delegation equally appreciated tremendous strides made by the NDDRC in the handling of both ex-fighters and girls earlier associated with armed groups and today at the DDR Centres. 

Frerro Valencia confessed that DDR Centres handling of women and girls has caught the attention of Colombia and thus the need to learn and contextualize in Colombia through adoption of a similar Gender Strategy Document.

Cameroon’s example worth learning

Speaking at the end of the session, the NDDRC National Coordinator said since creation, the committee has been collaborating with Colombia with a number of exchange visit. 

“Today we are receiving people from different institutions in Colombia but which have something to do with the DDR. You have those who are into peace building, into production, you have even the ex-fighter…,” Fai Yengo told the press.

“They will go to the field to see what we are doing and to listen to our story right on the field. We've been to Colombia and we have visited what they call communities, corresponds to what we call centers here,” he further explained, noting that their partnership on this axis will be consolidated. 

He affirmed that during the field visits, the key focus will be on women of the Cameroon’s DDR process. After the Monday’s working session, the Colombian delegation left Yaounde en route to the Far North region where they will visit DDR Centres in Mora.

Upon returning to Yaounde on Thursday, the delegation will travel to the South West region where they will visit the DDR Centre Buea located in Tiko. During both field visits, the visiting Colombians will gain hands-on knowledge on the activities of female ex-fighters in the DDR Centres as well as other related issues. 

It is worth noting that the visit of the Colombian delegation falls within the framework of the “South-South Cooperation - From Colombia to the World” signed between both countries in April 2024 in Yaounde. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3855 of Wednesday July 22, 2026