Biya praises Armed Forces for maintaining peace and stability in Cameroon
By DOH JAMES SONKEY IN YAOUNDE
The President of the Republic, Paul Biya, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has saluted the country’s defense forces for their bravery in maintaining peace in the country and in safeguarding Cameroon’s territorial integrity. President Biya expressed his satisfaction over the performance of the forces last April 21, 2017 at the ceremonial ground of the Military Headquarters in Yaoundé as he chaired the graduation ceremony of the 35th Batch of the Combined Services Academy, EMIA baptized “Peace and Emergence.”
After personally decorating the best cadet officer, 24-year-old Lieutenant Sandrina Larissa Etoa Atangana with epaulet, President Paul Biya in his speech at the occasion stressed that “our defense and security forces are an example which I would like to commend on this solemn occasion. They are admirably performing their duty of defending the fatherland. Thanks to their devotedness, bravery and sense of sacrifice, maritime piracy has been significantly curbed. Hostage takers are relentlessly tracked down. Boko Haram has suffered severe routs and is now reduced to merely launching sporadic assaults on civilian populations or attempting cowardly attacks.”
The Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces also used the occasion “to extend my very sincere congratulations to the Cameroonian people on their commitment in the struggle to defend the fatherland, particularly through vigilante groups and on their unflinching support to our army. I urge them to remain united, supportive and strong so that together, we may be able to face all challenges, as the struggle goes on and will continue unrelentingly until the final eradication of the threats looming over our beloved and beautiful country.”
Addressing the 178 cadet officers who make up the 35th Batch, President Paul Biya reminded them that “You have chosen the military profession. This profession, one of the most beautiful in the world, is noble, demanding and exalting. It is also the only one where the ultimate sacrifice is accepted as an eventuality. The career you have just entered requires strict discipline, unwavering loyalty to the institutions of the republic and constant availability. I urge you to carry on the duty of defending and protecting the fatherland, just like your elders who have distinguished themselves on battlefields. Your batch name is particularly revealing in the current context. For our country, it shows the need for peace in our march towards emergence. Indeed, no nation can aspire to economic development unless it enjoys lasting peace. Throughout your career, the baptismal name of your batch should serve as your guide and help you to always bear in mind the need to preserve peace for our country’s development.”
The President of the Republic concluded his speech by urging the young officers to accomplish their prime task of defending the territorial integrity, national unity and institutions of the republic with honour and loyalty, patriotic commitment while drawing inspiration from self-denial and sense of sacrifice of elders.