YAOUNDE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonians Minister of Defense Joseph Beti Assomo on Tuesday ordered newly-appointed senior military officers to preserve and preserve national integrity.
"The appointments are made in particular context characterized by strengthening sub-regional military cooperation to combat the terrorist group Boko Haram, the active involvement of Cameroon in pacifying Central African Republic (CAR), and security demands at the eastern border against central African rebel faction," said Assomo during an event to install the military officers.
The Cameroonian army has sub-regional commitment with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR to stabilizing the republic and securing its maritime borders, Assomo told the officers.
Since 2012, due to fighting between the mostly Christian anti-Balaka militia and the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition, thousands of civilians in the CAR have been killed and two-thirds of people there become dependent on humanitarian aid.
"We must also include those related to internal security, notably secessionist tensions and terrorist violence in the Northwest and Southwest regions, and traditional concerns such as the circulation of small arms and the phenomenon of poaching, rural and urban crime," said Assomo, who instructed the officers to put an end to the "vices."
These military officers were appointed last week to positions in the central, external and territorial command posts in the defense ministry.
