News

28, July 2026

FIFA president asked to appear before US Congress over Trump ties ⁰

US House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin has launched an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino, requesting documents detailing the football governing body’s interactions with US President Donald Trump, his administration, and his family business.

In a letter sent on Sunday, Raskin asked Infantino to provide records and communications related to any gifts, payments or benefits provided to Trump and his associates. The request also seeks visitor logs for FIFA’s office in Trump Tower, which the organization opened after acquiring the space last year. Raskin additionally requested that Infantino appear for a transcribed interview.

The letter sets an August 9 deadline for FIFA to provide the requested documents and arrange the interview. However, Raskin cannot compel Infantino to testify because Democrats do not hold a majority in the House unless he secures Republican support.

Investigation cites transparency, ethics concerns

In the letter, Raskin linked the request to concerns over FIFA’s governance and its relationship with the Trump administration.

“Your election as FIFA president was supposed to mark a red-card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandals that dressed down world soccer’s reputation,” Raskin wrote.

“Instead, at the start of your tenure, you dismantled FIFA’s ethical guardrails and disabled the organization’s ethics committee by pushing out most of its members. This lack of transparency and oversight has since paved the way for you to ingratiate yourself with the Trump administration via tactics that a New York University law professor and one of your former ethics committeemen described as ‘legal bribery.’”

The letter also refers to the US Department of Justice’s decision to “dismiss the indictments” of defendants in US government investigations into corruption in global football, including the 2015 prosecution involving more than 20 senior FIFA officials and sports-marketing executives.

World Cup events drew renewed scrutiny

Infantino’s relationship with Trump received heightened attention before and during this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

At the World Cup draw in Washington in December, Trump received a newly created “FIFA peace prize” at the Kennedy Center, where renovations were reportedly rushed on the administration’s orders ahead of the event. FIFA also opened its office in Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan last July.

During the tournament, Trump made several calls to Infantino, urging a review of US striker Folarin Balogun’s controversial red-card suspension before the Americans’ round-of-16 match against Belgium. FIFA later reversed the suspension, a decision that drew criticism from teams and football associations.

Trump also joined Infantino, alongside the top officials of Canada and Mexico, for the World Cup trophy presentation after Spain defeated Argentina in the final. The pair watched the match together from a glass-enclosed luxury seating area before taking to the field, where they were met with boos from spectators at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Raskin’s letter also addresses FIFA’s World Cup ticketing policy, which is already under investigation by several US state attorneys general.

The use of dynamic pricing during the tournament prompted criticism after ticket prices surged, making matches unaffordable for many fans.

“The most recent quid pro quo that FIFA and President Trump orchestrated is not a victimless crime. It hurts Americans. FIFA has taken its newfound favored status in the Trump administration as a sign that it may rip off its consumers, most notably, by employing illegal price-gouging and fraudulent sales tactics for the World Cup,” Raskin wrote.

28, July 2026

Ambazonia war leaves 2.9 million still without adequate water services ⁰

More than 2.9 million people, including about 1.5 million children, still needed access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions during the first half of 2026, highlighting the continuing humanitarian impact of the country’s anglophone crisis.

The figures come from UNICEF’s humanitarian situation report for Cameroon, published on July 23. According to the UN agency, communities in the two English-speaking regions continue to face heightened risks related to health, protection and access to basic social services.

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remain among the most pressing challenges. UNICEF attributes the situation to a combination of prolonged insecurity, repeated population displacement, damaged water infrastructure, disease outbreaks and inadequate public facilities. More than 2.9 million people in the Northwest and Southwest, including approximately 1.5 million children, continued to require safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, the agency said.

Women and Girls Bear the Heaviest Burden

Limited access to water has consequences that extend well beyond household supply. According to UNICEF, women and girls are disproportionately affected because they are often responsible for collecting water. Long journeys to water points consume time that could otherwise be spent in school, at work or on income-generating activities.

Those trips also expose women and adolescent girls to greater risks of violence, assault and harassment when they travel through isolated or insecure areas.

Limited sanitation facilities further complicate menstrual hygiene management, contributing to school absenteeism among adolescent girls and reinforcing existing barriers to education.

Schools Continue to Face Major Infrastructure Gaps

Schools across the two regions also lack adequate sanitation infrastructure. UNICEF reported that one in four schools had no sanitation facilities, more than one-third lacked separate latrines for boys and girls, and many facilities remained inaccessible to children with disabilities.

The absence of functioning toilets and water points increases health risks for students and teachers while making schools less welcoming, particularly for girls.

The lack of gender-separated sanitation facilities disproportionately affects adolescent girls, while inaccessible infrastructure excludes many children with disabilities. These shortcomings illustrate how the water and sanitation crisis extends beyond households, undermining education in regions already affected by years of conflict.

Rehabilitation Projects Deliver Local Gains

Despite the challenges, UNICEF and its partners continued implementing water and sanitation projects during the first half of 2026.

In the Southwest region, rehabilitation of the Mile 4 gravity-fed water system in Limbe significantly improved access to safe drinking water for nearby communities. According to UNICEF, the time required to collect water fell from about four hours to roughly 30 minutes.

The reduction gives affected families more than three additional hours each day that can be devoted to education, income-generating activities, household responsibilities or rest. The project demonstrates how restoring water infrastructure can quickly improve living conditions.

Needs Still Far Outpace Assistance

While projects such as the one in Limbe show the benefits of targeted investments, they remain small compared with the scale of unmet needs. UNICEF said restoring water networks, installing secure water points and building sanitation facilities in schools will require sustained funding as well as reliable humanitarian access to conflict-affected communities.

In the most insecure areas, humanitarian teams continue to face difficulties reaching communities and maintaining existing infrastructure. Repeated population displacement also places additional pressure on newly built or rehabilitated facilities.

The Limbe project illustrates the immediate health, education, protection and economic benefits that improved water and sanitation services can provide. At the same time, it underscores the wide gap between progress in individual communities and the needs of millions of people across Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions.

Source: Sbbc

28, July 2026

Cameroon needs to update its anti-corruption policy-Rev. Dr Dieudonné Massi ⁰

The Chairman of Cameroon’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC), Rev. Dr Dieudonné Massi Gams, has called for the adoption of a dedicated anti-corruption law to strengthen the country’s legal and institutional response to corruption.

Massi Gams made the appeal in an interview with Cameroon Tribune following activities marking the 10th edition of African Anti-Corruption Day. He said the proposed legislation could address illicit enrichment, improve the protection of whistleblowers and strengthen the institutions involved in fighting corruption.

According to the CONAC chairman, Cameroon needs to update its anti-corruption policy to reflect current challenges and improve the effectiveness of enforcement. He also proposed granting CONAC prosecutorial powers, which would allow the commission to initiate proceedings after completing its investigations.

“At the level of CONAC, we strongly believe that an Anti-Corruption Law can address issues such as illicit enrichment, protection of whistleblowers and strengthen structures involved in the fight against corruption,” Massi Gams said.

He also called for faster implementation of the constitutional provisions requiring the declaration of assets and property. Although the requirement has been enshrined in Cameroon’s Constitution since 1996, the mechanisms needed to enforce it have yet to be fully implemented.

Reports of Suspected Corruption Rise

Separately, Massi Gams reported a sharp increase in the number of suspected corruption cases brought to CONAC’s attention. The commission received 10,520 reports in 2024, compared with 7,548 in 2023, an increase of 39.37%.

He interpreted the rise as evidence that more Cameroonians are willing to report suspected corruption and have greater confidence in CONAC’s intervention mechanisms. The reports were submitted through channels including the commission’s toll-free telephone line, administrative correspondence, email and WhatsApp.

The increase does not necessarily indicate that corruption itself rose by the same proportion, as the figures reflect reports received rather than confirmed cases. It may also point to greater public awareness of reporting mechanisms.

African Anti-Corruption Day was observed under the theme “Scaling up the promotion of integrity and anti-corruption actions across Africa.” Massi Gams said the occasion provided an opportunity to assess Cameroon’s progress in promoting integrity and identify obstacles that continue to hamper anti-corruption efforts.

He identified fear and greed as major drivers of corruption. While fear of prosecution or damage to personal integrity may discourage some people from engaging in corrupt practices, he said greed continues to push others toward such acts. He argued that Cameroon must promote a culture in which public resources and services are managed for the common good rather than personal gain.

Financial Losses Exceed CFAF4 Billion

Corruption also continues to have a measurable impact on Cameroon’s public finances. According to CONAC’s 2024 Anti-Corruption Status Report, corruption-related losses to the state exceeded CFAF4 billion during the year.

The report also indicated that more than CFAF8 billion was recovered through decisions by the Special Criminal Court and asset-recovery operations conducted by the Cameroon Debt Recovery Company. The number of state institutions carrying out activities under the National Anti-Corruption Strategy rose from 84 in 2023 to 105 in 2024.

Despite these developments, Cameroon continues to perform poorly in international governance assessments. The country scored 26 out of 100 in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index. The index evaluates perceived levels of public-sector corruption in 182 countries and territories on a scale ranging from zero, for highly corrupt, to 100, for very clean.

For Massi Gams, further progress will require a stronger legal framework, more effective enforcement institutions and broader public participation. The proposed anti-corruption law would form part of that response by addressing areas that are not adequately covered under the current system and giving the institutions responsible for combating corruption greater capacity to act.

Source: Business in Cameroon

27, July 2026

Cameroonian student killed in Ukrainian drone strike in Russia ⁰

A 29-year-old Cameroonian student, who had previously signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in Yaroslavl. Belibi Belibi Albert explained his decision to join the Russian army as religious: he claimed Jesus Christ commanded him to fight for Russia. He planned to return to his homeland and become president.

The deceased was 29 years old and a student at the Ural State Forestry University. After completing his military training, Belibi was assigned to serve in an air defense unit in Yaroslavl. There, he died during a drone attack.

The International Cooperation Department of the Ural State Forest Engineering University also confirmed the death. They reported that his wife, Krista, had already received notification from the military unit.

She lives in Cameroon with her three children. The document was sent to her in French.

It is still unclear when exactly Belibi died. Yaroslavl Region Governor Mikhail Evraev has made no announcements about the attack on the training ground.

There are media reports that Russian army since the beginning of the war successfully recruited almost 28 thousand foreigners.

Source: nemoskva.net

27, July 2026

Camtel opens 115 internship positions nationwide ⁰

Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) is offering 115 internship positions for university students and recent graduates across all 10 regions of the country under a new partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education (Minesup).

The program includes 105 academic internships and 10 professional internships, marking the first initiative of this scale between the state-owned telecommunications operator and the ministry.

The internships are being coordinated by the National Observatory of Higher Education Graduate Careers (OMDES), an agency under Minesup. The program stems from a partnership agreement signed on June 3 to better align university education with labor market needs.

Center and Littoral Receive Nearly Half of the Positions

Although the internships will be available nationwide, the Center and Littoral regions account for nearly half of the openings.

The Center region will receive 30 positions, while the Littoral region will receive 25, for a combined total of 55 internships. They are also the only two regions offering professional internships, with five positions each. The remaining placements in those regions are academic internships.

The West, Northwest, Southwest and North regions will each receive 10 academic internships. Adamawa, East, Far North and South will each receive five. By distributing internships across all regions, Camtel is expanding access to workplace experience beyond Yaoundé and Douala, where internship opportunities at large companies have traditionally been concentrated.

Positions Span Technology, Business and Legal Fields

The 10 professional internships are reserved for candidates holding a master’s degree. Camtel is seeking graduates in fields including auditing and accounting, computer science, business and management, and law.

The academic internships are open to a broader range of disciplines. The company is recruiting candidates with backgrounds in corporate law, public procurement, urban planning, cybersecurity, statistics, translation and human resources.

The range of profiles reflects the company’s operational needs beyond telecommunications, including infrastructure management, public procurement, commercial operations, legal compliance, finance and digital transformation. According to Minesup, the program is designed to improve graduate employability, strengthen the professional orientation of university programs and deepen collaboration between universities and businesses in Cameroon.

Professional Internships Will Be Paid

The internships are scheduled to begin on August 24. Academic internships will last three months, while professional internships will run for six months.

Only the professional internships will be paid. The academic placements are intended primarily to help students meet practical training requirements and gain experience within a large state-owned enterprise. According to the Ministry of Higher Education, the initiative will give students and graduates, particularly those from traditional academic faculties, practical exposure to the realities of the job market.

The program comes as Cameroon continues to face high graduate unemployment and persistent concerns that university training does not adequately match employers’ needs. While limited to 115 participants, it is the first initiative of its kind to cover all regions of the country.

Source: Business in Cameroon

27, July 2026

From Aug. 1, Gabonese must apply for U.S. visas in Yaoundé ⁰

Beginning August 1, 2026, citizens and residents of Gabon will have to complete their routine U.S. visa procedures in Yaoundé, following a reorganization announced by the U.S. Department of State on July 15. The U.S. Embassy in Cameroon will become the regional processing hub, taking over most visa services previously handled in Libreville.

The change covers nonimmigrant visas, including tourism, business and petition-based categories, as well as immigrant visas for immediate relatives, family reunification and employment. It also includes fiancé(e) visas, adoptions, Diversity Visas and refugee and asylum family reunification cases.

Yaoundé Expands Its Regional Consular Role

The reorganization affects 25 U.S. diplomatic missions across Africa and is built around 20 regional visa hubs. For nonimmigrant visas, the U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé will serve applicants from Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Chad and São Tomé and Príncipe. For immigrant visas, its jurisdiction will also extend to Equatorial Guinea, while the U.S. Embassy in Malabo will continue handling nonimmigrant visa applications. Applicants from the Republic of Congo will be redirected to Kinshasa.

Washington said the changes are intended to strengthen security and standardize visa processing across the continent. According to the State Department, the regional hub system is designed to promote more consistent screening, vetting and adjudication standards while improving operational efficiency.

The U.S. Embassy in Libreville will remain open, continuing to provide services to U.S. citizens and a limited range of nonimmigrant visa services. The State Department said the changes do not affect the operational status of any U.S. embassy or consulate.

Gabonese Applicants Face Higher Travel Costs

For Gabonese tourists, students, workers, families and business travelers, the new system adds transportation, accommodation and other travel expenses to the cost of obtaining a U.S. visa. Applicants may also have to return to Yaoundé for interviews or document collection.

The additional travel could benefit airlines, hotels, restaurants and other local businesses in Yaoundé. However, the scale of that impact remains impossible to measure because the U.S. government has not disclosed how many visa applications are being transferred from Libreville, the additional processing capacity in Yaoundé or the expected effect on processing times.

The change also gives Cameroon a larger regional consular role, while increasing the workload of the U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé. Without data on staffing levels and appointment capacity, it remains unclear whether the consolidation will shorten waiting times or simply shift costs and queues from Libreville to Yaoundé.

Existing Applicants Should Check Their Appointments

Applicants who already have appointments scheduled in Libreville are advised to check their email for updated instructions. Those who have already paid the MRV visa application fee at a post that is reducing its services must schedule an appointment before July 31 or risk losing the fee, according to the State Department. Medical examinations for immigrant visas may be completed either in the applicant’s home country, if an approved panel physician is available, or at the designated regional hub.

Previously issued U.S. visas remain valid. Restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 10998, nationality-based visa bond requirements and pauses affecting certain immigrant visa categories remain in effect.

Source: Sbbc

26, July 2026

German police hunt suspect after deadly car ramming near Berlin Gay Pride ⁰

German police searched on Sunday for a suspect believed linked to Islamist circles after a car ploughed into a crowd near Berlin’s Gay Pride celebrations, killing one person and wounding 16 others.

The incident shattered what had been a day of celebration for hundreds of thousands attending Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s largest Pride events, and left revellers fleeing a central Berlin park as sirens echoed through the night.

Police told AFP the suspected vehicle was later found abandoned a few hundred metres from the heart of the festivities in Tiergarten park.

A manhunt involving helicopters and officers from several German states was under way across the capital on Sunday.

A suspect, believed to have links to “Islamist circles” had been “identified” but not yet arrested, police spokesman Florian Nath said.

An eyewitness near the main Pride stage at Brandenburg Gate told AFP that celebrations abruptly ended when police instructed people to leave.

“Go home, please,” officers told participants as the crowd streamed away from the park, where emergency crews rushed to treat victims.

The attack occurred shortly before 10:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Saturday.

“A vehicle entered the Tiergarten park and hit several people,” police said.

One person died and 16 others were injured, including three with life-threatening injuries, according to Berlin fire department spokesman Dominik Pretz.

Around 30 more people were treated for shock at the scene.

Police spokesman Nath said investigators had identified a suspect but not yet made an arrest, adding that investigators believed he had links to “Islamist circles”.

The search was widened to “the whole city” after the vehicle was discovered abandoned in the vast Tiergarten park.

The vehicle appeared to be “akin to a minivan or small SUV”, Nath said.

The attack immediately revived memories of a series of deadly assaults that have shaken Germany in recent years and fuelled fierce debate over security.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed that those responsible would face justice.

In a statement, Merz described the incident as a “horrific act” and said he and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt were being kept informed of developments.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned what he called a brutal attack on “a gathering for a tolerant and peaceful Berlin”.

Police had deployed more than 2,000 officers to secure the event.

Following the incident, additional personnel from across Germany joined the search operation, supported by helicopters equipped with thermal-imaging cameras.

An AFP journalist at the scene saw numerous emergency vehicles lining a nearby road and a large tent erected as police combed the area.

Violent attacks

Earlier Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people took part in the event, called Christopher Street Day in Germany, which is one of the biggest Pride events in Europe.

The march ended next to the Brandenburg Gate, which has been the venue for concerts since Friday.

Germany has in recent years seen several violent attacks at public spaces, including a stabbing in February 2025 at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial, a stone’s throw from the scene of Saturday’s incident, in which a Spanish tourist was seriously injured.

A Syrian man named only as Wassim Al M. was jailed in March for 13 years for that attack, with the court finding he acted in the name of the so-called Islamic State group.

Last month Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, a 51-year-old Saudi psychiatrist, was sentenced to life in prison for killing six people and wounding more than 300.

He drove a rented SUV through a crowded Christmas market in 2024 in the easter city of Magdeburg.

The deadliest such attack in recent years was a truck rampage at a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that killed 12 people.

Saturday’s incident came two months before voters in Berlin elect a new state assembly.

Polls indicate that the centre-right CDU, to which Merz and Wegner both belong, will face a stiff challenge from both the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the far-left Linke parties.

Wegner himself said earlier this month he would not run for re-election after months of criticism over his handling of a major blackout in January apparently caused by sabotage.

Source: AFP

24, July 2026

International Criminal Court removes Karim Khan as chief prosecutor amid ‘immense political pressure’ ⁰

Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from office, a move protested by his lawyer to have been taken amid “immense political pressure.”

The vote was held during a special session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday.

According to diplomatic sources, 82 of the court’s 125 member states voted by “secret ballot” on Friday in favor of his dismissal, surpassing the 63 votes required for an absolute majority. Thirteen states voted against the motion, while 15 abstained.

ASP President Paivi Kaukoranta announced that member states had concluded Khan “committed serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty” by engaging in “prohibited conduct against a subordinate staff member.”

The decision takes immediate effect and marks the first time in the ICC’s 24-year history that a sitting chief prosecutor has been removed by member states. Elections for a successor will follow.

Khan’s lawyer, Tayab Ali, condemned the decision, saying it ignored due process concerns raised by more than 180 rights groups and legal experts.

“The decision is unsupported by any lawful or properly reasoned finding that Mr Khan KC committed misconduct or breached his duties as Prosecutor,” he said, adding that Khan “was never given a fair opportunity to be heard.” Ali also warned that “the Prosecutor of this Court has been removed by an executive vote while under sanctions and while the Court is under immense political pressure.”

The vote centered on findings by the ASP Bureau that “the evidence establishes beyond reasonable doubt” that Khan engaged in a “sexual relationship” with a subordinate staff member, arguing that “in the context of that power imbalance a sexual relationship could never be appropriate.”

Khan denied any sexual relationship, while the complainant’s account, investigated by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), alleged non-consensual conduct.

The decision comes amid heightened political pressure on the court. It followed threats by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Washington would “dismantle the ICC – brick by brick, if necessary,” while many ICC officials, including Khan, remain under US sanctions related to investigations into Palestine and Afghanistan.

The disciplinary process also followed Khan’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli minister for military affairs Yoav Gallant for war crimes committed during Tel Aviv’s war of genocide on the Gaza Strip.

The process drew criticism after a panel of judges reportedly concluded that the evidence “do[es] not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant framework,” but the ASP Bureau proceeded with disciplinary measures.

More than 180 Palestinian civil society organizations and rights groups argued the process “has been reduced to a political referendum following the national interests of individual States Parties.”

24, July 2026

Iran targets American bases in Bahrain, Jordan as US war continues ⁰

Iran’s Army has targeted two key US bases in Bahrain and Jordan in response to deadly American aerial assaults on the Islamic Republic.

The Army’s Public Relations Department said on Friday that the attacks, launched under the 24th phase of Operation Saeqe (Lightning), involved launching Arash kamikaze drones at fuel storage facilities, large equipment warehouses and sheds, and the accommodation quarters of the terrorist US military personnel at Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

Iranian drones, it added, also hit aircraft shelters, aircraft maintenance hangars, and accommodation facilities for forces of the aggressor US army at Jordan’s al-Azraq Air Base.

“Any action against the legitimate and lawful interests of the Iranian nation and the sacred Islamic Republic establishment will also jeopardize the security and economic interests of other countries in the region,” it asserted.

For thirteen consecutive nights, the US military has conducted waves of air raids on Iran, committing war crimes by targeting civilian sites.

In response, Iranian armed forces have launched heavy reprisal attacks against strategic American targets across West Asia.

The US attacks, which have mainly targeted southern Iranian provinces, have so far destroyed several infrastructure sites, such as bridges and water desalination plants, and killed 55 and injured 645 Iranians.

Source: Presstv

24, July 2026

Beti Assomo says military should increase focus on economic warfare threats ⁰

Cameroon’s Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo has called on senior military officers to strengthen their ability to identify and counter financial, technological and information-based threats.

Speaking in Yaounde on July 22 at the graduation ceremony of the 21st class of the International War College, or ESIG, Beti Assomo said modern economic warfare increasingly relies on financial pressure, strategic resources, digital technologies and information manipulation rather than conventional military force.

According to the minister, economic warfare extends beyond trade disputes and includes the use of financial flows, technology, supply chains, strategic resources and manipulated information to weaken rival states.

“The weaponization of financial flows, strategic resources and digital technologies has become a weapon in its own right. Our officers must learn to identify, analyze, master and counter these threats,” he said.

The minister’s remarks come as Cameroon remains dependent on international trade, foreign financing, imported technologies and cross-border infrastructure networks.

Potential vulnerabilities include reliance on imported equipment, exposure of transport and energy infrastructure, dependence on foreign markets for commodity exports, access to international payment systems, cyber operations and financial networks linked to armed groups. Pressure on supply chains, financial channels, strategic resources or digital systems could therefore have security consequences without involving direct military confrontation.

The issue is particularly relevant to sectors in which external dependence can affect both economic activity and national-security capabilities. Disruptions affecting imported technology, defense equipment, energy infrastructure or payment networks could constrain the state’s ability to operate and respond to crises.

Growing Institutional Attention

Beti Assomo’s remarks add to a series of initiatives showing that economic-security issues are receiving increased attention within Cameroon’s military and intelligence institutions. However, the government has not publicly presented these efforts as part of a single national strategy on economic warfare.

In May 2026, ESIG held its annual international colloquium in Yaounde under the theme, “Economic Warfare: What Are the Strategic Challenges for Africa?”

Opening the forum, Secretary of State for the National Gendarmerie Galax Etoga Yves Landry said modern conflicts were increasingly being conducted through economic and financial means, making strategic intelligence and economic autonomy important components of national security.

The colloquium examined sanctions, trade restrictions and control over strategic resources as instruments of influence and power projection. Discussions also covered industrial resilience, strategic planning, regional integration and technological sovereignty.

Participants highlighted strategic autonomy, technological sovereignty, regional economic integration and control over information narratives as areas requiring greater attention. These conclusions were presented as recommendations from the forum rather than as formally adopted government priorities.

Economic warfare has also featured in initiatives involving Cameroon’s intelligence services. In July 2025, the General Directorate of External Research, or DGRE, organized specialized training in economic intelligence and economic warfare for 50 intelligence professionals. The program focused on strategic intelligence, informational sovereignty, counter-influence operations and geoeconomic risks.

Reports on the training also referred to discussions over the possible creation of a National Centre for Economic and Strategic Intelligence. No formal announcement regarding the establishment of such a body has been made.

Efforts to Reduce Defense-Sector Dependence

Separately, Cameroon has pursued projects intended to expand domestic production capacity in the defense sector and reduce reliance on imported equipment.

In September 2025, the Ministry of Defence inaugurated a Central Tailoring Workshop for the Armed Forces and Gendarmerie in Yaounde’s Ekounou neighborhood. The facility can produce more than 750 combat uniforms a day, while the government has also referred to plans for footwear and ballistic-equipment factories.

In April 2026, the government also signed three agreements with local private-sector partners covering armored-vehicle conversion, ballistic-protection manufacturing and the production of mechanical spare parts. The agreements were presented as part of an import-substitution drive under Cameroon’s National Development Strategy, or NDS30.

Source: Business in Cameroon