The new command of the 5th Joint Military Region (RMIA 5) was installed on July 20 in Bamenda by the Minister Delegate to the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Defense (Mindef), Joseph Beti Assomo. Opportunity for Mindef to emphasize the importance of discipline in the ranks.
To General Bouba Dobekreo, commander of RMIA 5 and to General Ousseini Djibo, commander of the 5th gendarmerie region, Joseph Beti Assomo asked to “punish firmly any cases of indiscipline in the ranks in order to avoid the holocausts to which we sometimes witness, that is to say the death of our men in flagrant violation of instructions“.
The Minister of Defense also recommended to the new leaders “to maintain the morale of the troops, to keep the troops mobilized and to prevent any risk of intoxication and misinformation likely to produce cases of indiscipline or to affect the troop morale.
To the soldiers, the Mindef launched: “I would like to say here to the troops that they receive their instructions from the hierarchy alone and not from social networks or modern communication tools which sometimes convey curious and bizarre messages, calls from any kind inappropriate towards our army”.
On July 14, the President of the Republic appointed new military officials at the head of the territorial commands. General Bouba Dobekreo replaced General Valère Nka at the head of RMIA 5, while Ousseini Djibo replaced General Ekongwesse Divine Nnokon, appointed to Gendarmerie Region No. 2 with command post in Douala. The new men must breathe new tactical and operational life into the war that the army is waging against the separatist militias in this region.
For his part, when he took command, General Dobekreo launched in the direction of the secessionist fighters: “my message to those who are on the ground, to the fighters in the bush. I give them time to go out, to change”.