Pupil administrators are participating in a three-day international training that opened in ENAM yesterday.

Security concerns at Cameroon’s borders are at the centre of a three-day international workshop that opened at the National School of Administration and Magistracy, ENAM, Yaounde yesterday November 19, 2014. The training workshop is gathering student administrators, ENAM experts and some local government officials.

The Director General of ENAM, Linus Toussaint Mendjana opened the training, urging participants to bear in mind that cross-border cooperation was imperative in counteracting terrorism and banditry.

Cameroon shares 4,591 kilometres in borders with Nigeria, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, Central African Republic, and Gabon and its eight out of ten regions, 15 out of 58 divisions as well as 75 out of 360 subdivisions are at the frontiers.

Thus, workshop participants, many of whom are future administrators, have to master the complexities of border issues by developing reflexes. Dwelling on the theme, “Trans-border Cooperation and the Stakes in the Development of Africa,” Toussaint Mendjana reaffirmed his institution’s commitment to partner as long as possible to sensitise and train stakeholders on developing border areas through competent local authorities.

Under-development, increased insecurity, trafficking, falling health services and instability in many African countries have been blamed on porous border; a phenomenon that if well-handled can curtail such incidences.

Mrs Anja Heuft, Programme Coordinator of the German Technical Cooperation, PADDL/GIZ said the workshop was the start of diplomatic response to issues of common concern. She restated the commitment of the German-based organisation to continue to partner and support Cameroon in all its endeavours to keep its borders safe for a developed country and continent.