Cameroon’s 13th MINUSCA contingent to CAR urged to be disciplined.

This was during a ceremony he presided on behalf of the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, Paul Biya, at the Motcheboum Peacekeeping Operations Training School, in Doume Subdivision, Upper Nyong Division of the East Region.

Members of government and elite from the East Region, administrative, municipal, religious and traditional authorities as well as the population and top brass of the military attended the event.

Minister Beti Assomo told the peacekeepers, whom he said, were selected after a rigorous process, properly and efficiently trained, to represent the country on the mission honourably.  

He said by dispatching its troops to CAR, the State is reaffirming its unwavering commitment on the international stage by actively contributing to efforts to maintain peace and stability in the CAR. 

He reminded them that the environment they are headed to is particularly marked by the presence of multiple bilateral actors and sometimes contrasted perception of the presence of international forces by certain local populations.

Beti Assomo tasked them to be “disciplined, supportive, focused” on their goals and be “vigilant and remain impermeable to any form of provocation”.

He also challenged them to ensure their actions are “guided by the rules of engagement, international humanitarian law, the directives of the mission and the highest ethical requirements”.

Be country’s worthy representatives

Minister Beti Assomo sounded upbeat that despite the weight of the task ahead, the peacekeepers will honourably represent the nation in CAR. 

“You are sent on a mission and you will wear the Cameroonian flag with its values, its sense of honour, its attachment to peace and its willingness to serve alongside the contingents of the 13 other countries from five continents,” he told them. 

Minister warns against abusive use of weapons

Minister Beti Assomo said President Biya has provided the contingent with the appropriate and latest generation logistics to permanently strengthen the operational capabilities while in the CAR and for the success of the mission.  

He reminded them of the necessity “to use them with the greatest care possible, in respect of the instructions received and the engagement rules that have been given to you”.

The minister cautioned them against abusive use of weapons, warning that negligence of any kind will be met with “appropriate sanctions”.

Abstain from trafficking, sexual exploitation, abuse…

The minister reminded the contingent that discipline constitutes the main force of the armed forces. He recalled that successive Cameroonian contingents have been regularly saluted for their professionalism though individual behaviors have stained the country’s credibility.

“I am in particular referring here to the accusations of abuse and sexual exploitation. Fortunately, these cases are becoming more and more rare and they must totally disappear,” the minister said.

The minister told the contingent that “any violation established after the investigation” will severely be sanctioned. 

He also advised them to abstain from fuel traffic which he said has been “efficiently regulated thanks to the national control mechanism” and other illicit practices including the fraudulent sale of food or medicine.

Upholding peace efforts

Minister Beti Assomo said for more than a decade, the Cameroonian contingents deployed to CAR have been saluted for their commitment, their discipline and their professionalism.

He said the Cameroonian contingents have contributed with honor to the efforts of the international community in favor of the stabilization and lasting return of peace in the Central African Republic.

The minister said President Biya has continued to sue for peace despite the persistence of complex and multiform security crises even within the country with security challenges in the North West and South West Region.

Beti Assomo reiterated that the Head of State remains firmly attached to the promotion of peace and continues to support international initiatives of peaceful settlement of conflicts around the world and to contribute resolutely to the operations of support for peace

Enter Commander of contingent

The Commander of the 13th Cameroonian contingent to MINUSCA, Lieutenant Colonel Ewang Mesape Young, said they are ready to carry out their mission in CAR without any fear.

“After three months of pre-deployment training at the peacekeeping school, we were given different knowledge, ideas concerning the United Nations principles,” Lt Colonel Ewang told reporters.

He added that the training went on well and expressed gratitude to his hierarchy for the support.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3910 of Tuesday September 15, 2026