Women's AFCON: 700 Gendarmes to be deployed

The Women's African Cup of Nations football tournament, AFCON, begins in Cameroon on November 19, 2016, with the host cities being Yaounde and Limbe. In order to ensure that the competition passes off peacefully, the National Gendarmerie last week trained 700 men and women to help beef up security and ensure safe travelling for those involved or interested in the tournament.

The new contingents are an addition to those already involved in law enforcement and traffic duties in the two cities. Brigadier General Elokobi Daniel Njock from Gendarmerie Headquarters was on the field on Saturday, November 12, 2016, on the Yaounde-Sombo highway in the Centre Region to oversee a road safety campaign. "The Women's African Cup of Nations, AFCON, begins in the country on November 19, 2016. Having noticed that the number of accidents in the country has risen in the past weeks, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam, directed that seminars be organised for gendarmes in Yaounde on November 9, 2016 and in Douala two days after," explained Brigadier General Elokobi.

He added that he was on the field to see if the instructions of the high command were being respected. "In addition to the usual officers on highway patrol, 700 more gendarmes were trained last week - 400 for Yaounde and 300 for Limbe - to prevent accidents, facilitate traffic flow, help direct visitors to their destinations and ensure that the Highway Code is respected during the tournament," he disclosed. Elokobi promised that the momentum will be maintained after the tournament to ensure safety on highways during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Brigadier General Elokobi Daniel Njock was assisted in overseeing the road safety campaign by Col. Fondzenyuy Roland, an Inspector at Gendarmerie Headquarters. Officers told Cameroon Tribune that emphasis was on sensitising motorists, even though erring ones were booked or fined accordingly.