Gendarmerie Nationale

In addition to the regular military services, the Civic Guard of about 1,600 was originally a separate security force in the Bamileke ethnic area in Littoral and Western provinces—apparently still existed as a separate entity in the 1970s. It had been directed by the National Gendarmerie during the early 1960s. After 1966, however, it began to be retrained and reequipped by the armed forces to become part of the standing army, thereby for a time losing its former separate identity. But this process of integration was not completed, and the Gendarmerie Nationale remained a separate formation, which by 2016 had a strength of 9,000 troops.

In 1928, an Order of the High Commissioner of the French Republic in Cameroon created the first police services in Cameroon. The first head of the Office of Douala was Captain Beauquinot. The June 28, 1930 and March 28, 1938, two Orders of the High Commissioner of the French Republic set the conditions for the exercise of public security in large cities. March 31, 1934, the same person signs a decree “on the organization in Cameroon of a Police Department and Security”. On 1 June 1946, the High Commissioner of the French Republic signed a decree “on the reorganization of National Security in the territories of Cameroon.” On August 31 of that year, he signed another decree “On transformation Corps indigenous policing body Peacekeepers and Public Safety.” The latter text is the birth of our Uniformed policing. The year 1947 marks the date of creation of the Department of Safety and the organization of a specialized service. January 29, 1968, Decree No. 68 / DF / 33 sets out defense missions Regular Force, and supplemental aids. On 09 April of that year, the Presidential Instruction No. 07 / CAB / PR defines the missions of National Security under Defense. October 29, 1968 in favor of Decree No. 68 / DF / 431, “General Status of National Security” was born. The first article of the text reads: “This Statute shall apply to tenured staff of the Federal Police and Fonts Federated States who now constitute the Corps of National Security.”

The following year, Decree No. 69 / DF / 60 of 3 May 1969 “on the organization of National Security” concretized the reordering of the federal provisions dispersed organizations. The previous situation was precisely characterized by the superposition of several authorities in control of every part of the dislocated Police: The President of the Republic for the Federal Police and the Prime Minister or the Minister of the Interior for Federated Fonts. Section 4 of this new organization now placed the National Security under a single authority namely the President of the Federal Republic.

So Decree No. 69 / DF / 60 of 3 May 1969 creating the General Delegation for National Security. This will continue until 28 December 1992 when the Head of State signed Decree No. 92/255 of 28 December 1992, “to organize the Secretariat of State for Internal Security.” National Security becomes the Secretary of State for Internal Security. Four years later, there is a return to square one. Decree 96/034 1 March 1996 “on the establishment of the General Delegation for National Security” establishes again the General Delegation for National Security.

Decree No 2001/181 of 25 July 2001 on the organization of the National Gendarmerie was based on

• Law No. 67 / LF / 9 of 12 June 1967 on the general organization of defense;
• Ordinance No. 60/20 of 22 December 1960, regulating the organization and service of the National Gendarmerie;
• Decree No. 60/280 of 31 December 1960 on the service of the National Gendarmerie;
• Decree No. 83/355 of 20 July 1983 establishing a general inspection at the General Delegation for the National Gendarmerie;
• Decree No. 83/569 of 12 November 1983 on the reorganization of the National Gendarmerie;
• Decree No. 2001/177 of 25 July 2001 on the organization of the Ministry of Defence;

The Gendarmerie Nationale is a component of the Defence Forces. It acts throughout the national territory and especially in rural areas and communication routes. Under the authority of the Minister of Defense, the National Gendarmerie is a military force, also ensuring civilian missions. It can employ civilian personnel.

Under the authority of the Minister of Defence, the Gendarmerie executes tasks to the Minister of Territorial Administration and the Minister of Justice. It is also at the disposal of other Heads of departments within the missions assigned to it in accordance with regulations. The Gendarmerie performs administrative police missions and police, as provided by the regulations in force.

It contributes to national defense. It contributes to the maintenance of internal security of the State. It ensures the military police missions and military police. It satisfies the orders of the Head of State and the Minister of Defence, according to its technical and its resources, the requisitions and aid applications submitted regularly by the competent authorities.

Under the authority of the Secretary of State for Defence specially charge of the Gendarmerie, the National Gendarmerie includes: Central Services; The territorial commands; Commands and specialized training.

Under the authority of the Minister of Defense, the Secretary of State for Defence has special responsibility for the gendarmerie. It can perform other missions as the Minister of Defence entrusted. He is responsible for: administration of the National Gendarmerie; Designing and developing rules and guidelines necessary to implement the tasks of the National Gendarmerie. As such: It ensures the recruitment of staff not officers and civilians of Gendarmerie personnel; It ensures the initial training and continuing training of staff of the National Gendarmerie; It develops and enforces the equipment plans and infrastructure of the National Gendarmerie, after approval of the Minister of Defence; Prepares the budget proposals of the National Gendarmerie and submit it to the Minister of Defence. It is responsible to it for implementing the budget of the National Gendarmerie; Elaborates the draft texts concerning the organization and functioning of the National Gendarmerie; It is consulted in the development of any text, the application may concern the Gendarmerie Nationale.

The Secretary of State for Defence specifically responsible for the Gendarmerie Nationale is at the disposal of the various ministers, including the Minister in charge of Territorial Administration and the Minister of Justice to perform the tasks assigned to Gendarmerie and within their respective powers. It ensures that no abuse of employment is committed to the detriment of the missions of the Force and its staff.

The Gendarmerie Region is in charge of command, administration, coordination and support training of the National Gendarmerie in the execution of their tasks. The Gendarmerie Region also includes organizations, establishments, workshops, warehouses, stocks, shops and public infrastructure or specialized ministerial implanted and placed in the Region, by delegation of the Secretary of State for Defence in charge of the Gendarmerie, under the authority of the Commander of the Gendarmerie Region.

The jurisdictions and command posts of the Gendarmerie Region's fixed as follows:

1. First Region Police (RG1) :
   territories: Central Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province;
   command post: Yaounde
2. Second Region Police (RG2)
   territories: Littoral Province, North West Province, Western Province, South-West Province;
   command post: Douala
3. Third Region Police (RG3)
   territories: Adamawa Province, Far North Province, Northern Province
   command post: Garoua

However, the President of the Republic may modify as necessary, by order, the jurisdiction of Police Region. It can also modify by decree in the implementation of the command post. The District of Police is under the authority of a Police Area Commander, Officer appointed by decree of the President of the Republic. He is assisted by a second in command and chief of staff, police officers appointed by decree of the President of the Republic. In the territorial limits of the province, the National Gendarmerie is organized as a single territorial command called "Gendarmerie Legion" forming body. The Legion of Police is in charge of command, administration, coordination and support training and territorial and specialized mobile units of the gendarmerie in the performance of their tasks.

The Specialised Training and Territorial Units and the National Gendarmerie are responsible for the execution of all the police missions in their constituencies. As such, they perform general security and law enforcement missions, administrative and judicial police missions, administrative and military judicial police missions, as well as national defense missions. Formations and units of the Gendarmerie Mobile are military-type structures for the execution of maintenance tasks and restoring public order. They reinforce and territorial formations and units specialized in the execution of their overall security missions, law enforcement, administrative, judicial and military police.

The 35th batch of trainees for the junior staff certificate level II (CAT 2)of the national gendarmerie studied for six months at the Gendarmerie training center in Yaoundé and carried out practical exercises in different parts of the country. The practical and professional training prepared for gendarmes of the rank and file to ascend to the grade of sub officers of the Gendarmerie. During a September 2016 ceremony to hand over attestations to successful candidates at the Command for Gendarmerie School in Yaoundé, the representative of the grandaunts said they are physically and psychologically armed to efficiently contribute in the fight against insecurity particularly within the current context when the country is faced by multiple security challenges.

The Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam said the training comes at a time when the new penal code; the operational guide for gendarmes has been promulgated. He added that the projection of two formed Police Units to the Central African Republic for a peace keeping assignment as part of the United Nations Integrated Stabilisation Mission, MINUSCA should serve as an eye opener for the future sub officers who will be evaluated on the field. The grandaunts he noted will be evaluated in their respective stations based on their ability to draw up accident reports, carry out judicial investigations with a mastery of the legal proceedings and their capacity to command combat and law enforcement units. They were also reminded to keep professional secrets and be of good morals in a bid to better preserve national unity and integrity and protect Cameroonians and their property.