Concrete solutions and recommendations are expected to be proposed to the teething varied security challenges along the Cameroon-Nigeria common border today, December 15, 2016 when experts of the Cameroon/Nigeria Security Committee end the 5th session of their in Yaounde.

Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation deliberations, René Emmanuel Sadi speaking during the opening ceremony of the session at the Yaounde Mont Fébé Hotel on December 14, 2016 outlined the security challenges.

He acknowledged that the operational capacity of the Boko Haram terrorist group, the common enemy to both countries has been weakened but the terrorist militants still put up pockets of resistance around the Lake Chad Region from where they launch attacks against Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Other security challenges, he added, included the combined effect of the length of the common border between Nigeria and Cameroon and its openness to the Gulf of Guinea where perverse activities of maritime pirates are endemic. There is also the uncontrolled movement of cattle with ensuing inter-communities conflicts, illicit circulation of arms and ammunition, armed robbery and banditry, trafficking in drugs and persons as well as illegal immigration.

In keeping with the missions of the Security Committee both Minister Sadi and the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the session, Major General Abba Mohammed Dikko stated clearly the expectations from the Yaounde come together.

Experts have to present a thorough assessment of the security situation along the common border, propose adequate measures to fight all forms of insecurity, present proposals and recommendations which will help reinforce security, strengthen cooperation ties in security matters. The Yaounde session is also a forum to propose ways of building confidence among the stakeholders in charge of trans-border security issues.