The graduation of the 2,205 was presided at by the Commander in charge of Military and Para-military Training Centres in Cameroon, General Philip Mpaye, the Commander of the Joint Multi-national Task Force in the North and Technical Adviser at the Presidency, Brigadier General Bouba Dubekreo, the Commander of the BIR Training Centre at Man O’War Bay, Lt Colonel Rene Danzabe and the SDO of Fako, Emmanuel Engamba Ledoux.

Cameroon, for the past few years now, has been facing a lot of security threats. In the Far North Region, the Boko Haram insurgents are still wreaking havoc; in the East, terrorist elements from the Central Africa Republic are still a menace to the peace of this area, while in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, peace is yet to return following the escalation of the Anglophone Crisis.

“So our soldiers are expected to go out to these different battle fronts and do their best so that all Cameroonians can live in peace,” Lt Col. Danzabe said.

The BIR Commander said the 2019 batch of BIR trainees were unique in that they carried out their training in the different areas across the country.

“These soldiers are unique because they have been trained both on the ground, in the air and at sea. They were also trained at different training sites here at Man O’War Bay, in Maroua and the Far North where we have the Boko Haram threat. They have been trained, physically, morally and, above all, the spirit of patriotism.”

The graduation ceremony of the 2,205 Commandos was a clear exhibition of the spirit of oneness, togetherness and between Anglophones and Francophones. Looking at the corps of the 2,205 graduating soldiers, the marchpast that followed the graduation and a theatrical and entertaining display by another segment of the graduating trainees, there was no distinction as to which solider is Francophone or Anglophone. But of the 2,205 soldiers, The Post reports that there were about 600 Anglophones.

Of the 2,205 soldiers, the best 10 were all given prizes. Of these 10, the sixth was an Anglophone who, while receiving his gift, presented himself in the English Language.

The graduation ceremony was conducted in English and French, depicting the two English and French cultures of the country. The BIR authorities said their mission was to ensure that peace reigns for the wellbeing of all Cameroonians so that all should live in peace and security.

In his address, Lt Colonel Danzabe disclosed that the soldiers are trained to ensure peace and security, not just with the gun, but all of the graduates were each given either a Bible or a Holy Koran, depending on their religion. He said they expect their soldiers to be guided by the fear of God, as they execute their peace and security mission across the country.