Decree no. 2019/303 of 17 June 2019 instituting a day of national mourning states in its article two that the National Flag shall fly at half-mast nationwide and in Cameroon’s diplomatic and consular missions.  

Beti Assomo Joseph, Cameroon’s Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Defence had said the soldiers of the country’s defence forces were killed when jihadist fighters belonging to the Boko Haram group attacked Darak, a locality in the Far North Region.

The incident took place in the night of Sunday June 9 to Monday June 10, 2019 when 300 heavily armed fighters of the Boko Haram terrorist group attacked Darak in the Logone and Chari Division of the Far North Region, the Minister said in a statement Wednesday.

The riposte by Cameroon’s Defence Forces attached to Sector No. 1 of the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin resulted in a fierce gun exchange that lasted for several hours.

16 soldiers were shot and killed, while eight others were injured, government said in a press release. It would seem one of the eight injured soldiers died in hospital in one were to go by the presidential decree.

On the part of civilians, eight were killed and one wounded. The wounded is said to be in a stable medical condition in hospital.

The defence minister says 64 Boko Haram fighters were neutralised (killed), eight captured and many others wounded as they fled while three heavy duty machines belonging to the assailants were destroyed.

Cameroon’s Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Defence extended to the bereaved families the condolences of the Head of State, Commander in chief of the armed forces as well as his wishes of quick recovery for the injured.

Boko Haram's decade-long uprising to establish a hardline Islamic state in Nigeria's northeast, which has killed more than 27,000 people and left 1.8 million homeless, has spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

An anti-Boko Haram force combining soldiers from Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria has been set up but is still battling to rout the group from the restive Lake Chad region.

This latest attack from the jihadist group is by far the bloodiest in recent months, which have seen a surge in violence after a period of calm last year.

Deceased soldiers to get state honours

Presidential Decree no. 2019/304 of 17 June 2019 attributed to the 17 deceased soldiers posthumous medals for bravery.

The Bravery Medals of Cameroon’s military orders were posthumously given to:

Baleng David Bertin, Ajang Fidelis Aduck, Bawe Maurice Nfoa, Kagana Benjamin, Kiambeh Felix Biambeh, Mamoudou Gambo, Djondo James, Mawouli Jean, Eloundou Arnaud Claude, Ngwafor Mohamed, Ambeh Abraham, Foruwa, Kwamo Jefferson Cliinthon, Maton Ngaman Parfait, Minlend Nyobe, Minsoko Giresse Armand, Ndive Lawrence James and Ngolle Solomon.