There is palpable alarm in Paris, France, Nigeria and the Francophone nations as Joseph Beti Assomo, Cameroon’s Defence Minister made a discreet but remarkable visit to Russian capital Moscow where he signed a new military cooperation agreement between the two countries.
According to the Cameroonian newspaper, JournalduCameroun.com, the symbolic trip and subsequent signing of the military agreement which came amid Kremlin’s re-launch of its offensive in Ukraine took place on 12 April, 2022.
On April 11, Assomo, the Presidency’s Minister Delegate in Charge of Defence, had left Yaounde for Moscow, where he met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoogou.
Shoogou, who is part of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, initialed the 13-page document on Russia’s behalf.
Details of the signed military agreement states that it will boost the fight against piracy, ensure terrorism training, search and rescue mission at sea, peace keeping processes and exchange of security information on defence and security on the international domain.
The signing of the agreement comes weeks after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, an invasion in which Cameroon has been mute on.
During a UN meeting organised on the issue, Cameroon was amongst countries which failed to vote in favour of Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine.
Cameroon has shared robust bilateral relations with Russia since 2015.
In fact, on April 15, 2015, Russia and Cameroon signed a defence cooperation agreement aimed at boosting Cameroon’s military as it combats Boko Haram militants.
The bilateral technical and military accord was then signed in Yaounde by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o (Cameroon) and the Deputy Director of Technical and Military Service at the Russian Presidency, General Anatoly Punchuk.
This was in the presence of the Russian Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E Nikolay Ratsiborinsky and the Defence Chief of Staff of the Cameroonian Army, Lieutenant General René Claude Meka alongside a host of superior military personnel.
The signing of the agreement is causing apprehension especially among the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin countries as the area is a bastion of influence for Britain and France.
Until the signing, Russia did not have a solid foothold in any of the countries of the subregion.