On International Day of Peace, Cameroon’s Rapid Intervention Battalions (Bataillons d’Intervention Rapide, BIR) launched a series of community‑outreach activities that spanned the country from the Southwest to the Extreme‑North, aiming to reinforce social cohesion and rebuild public confidence amid ongoing security challenges.
The BIR stressed that security cannot be achieved solely through force; it also requires dialogue and mutual trust, a message conveyed by the force’s General Coordinator, a Brigadier General, during the peace‑day operations.
In the Southwest, the 6th BIR chose a sports field in Kumba as the venue for a cohesion exercise. The event was intended to signal support for peace and the free movement of citizens, directly countering “Ghost Town” directives imposed by separatist groups and urging a return to normal daily activities.
At the opposite end of the country, BIR units operating in the Extreme‑North focused on community sensitisation in response to sporadic Boko Haram incursions. The soldiers engaged local residents, encouraging resilience and urging them to remain in their villages, while reminding them that stability and security are essential for local development.
Through these civil‑military initiatives, the BIR seeks to demonstrate that the effectiveness of Cameroon’s defence forces lies not only in neutralising threats but also in forging a lasting pact of trust with the populations they protect, a strategy that aims to reshape the relationship between the army and the nation.
<small>Source: 237actu — read the original story there.</small>
