Fighting Terrorism:

Over 2200 BIR Soldiers Graduate from Man O’War Bay

By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

Some 2205 soldiers of the rapid intervention battalion, BIR, have graduated from the training centre at Man’o War Bay in Limbe, SW region. The graduation ceremony took place on Thursday, 5 December, at the training camp, with the commander of military and Para-military training centers in Cameroon, General Philip Mpaye, presiding.

                The Commander of the Man O’ War Bay training centre, Lt Colonel Danzabe Rene, said the 2019 batch of trainees were unique in that they carried out their training in different areas. They were trained both on the ground, in the air and at sea, as well as being trained physically and morally.

                Their training took part in different training sites in the country that is at Man O’ War Bay, in Maroua and the Far North.

                For the past few years, Cameroon has been facing a lot of security threats especially in the far North with Boko Haram insurgency, in the East with terrorist incursions from central Africa and the independence struggle in the English Speaking regions.

                Taking all these into consideration, the BIR Commander reminded the soldiers that they are expected to go out and do their best so that all Cameroonians can live in peace.

                The graduation ceremony of the 2019 batch was a clear display of the spirit of living together among Anglophones and Francophones. This base on information gathered by the Median indicating that there were about 600 Anglophone amongst the graduates and out of the best 10 graduates was an Anglophone who proudly presented himself in the English Language. Moreover, the whole ceremony was conducted in English and French.

                The BIR Commander gave prizes including copies of the Holy Bible or the Koran, to the top ten students.

                Lt Colonel Danzabe said the trainees are not just train to handle guns but are told to put the fear of God in all they do.

                 Highlights of the ceremony included a military parade, military chorography and visit of exposition stands. 

                Also present at the graduation was the Commander of the joint Multi-national Task Force in the North and Technical Adviser at the presidency, Brigadier General Bouba Dubekre, the SDO of Fako, Engamba Emmanuel Ledoux, family members and friends who came to celebrate with the graduates.