NEW YORK: The Ministries of Defence and that of Finance have signed a partnership agreement that will permit the Cameroon Navy and the Customs department to collaborate in the surveillance of the Cameroonian maritime space. The convention was signed yesterday August 11, 2015 in Yaounde between the Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Defence, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o and his colleague of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey.
Presenting the content of the partnership agreement, the Navy Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Mendoua Jean, stated that the deal falls within the framework of the implementation of the resolution of the Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (CGG) on the maritime security that held in Yaounde in June 2013.
He said the accord between the Ministry of Defence and that of Finance is intended to institute a strategic working platform between the Navy and the Customs department. It entails the facilitation of deployment of operational customs staff in the maritime space as well as on rivers and lakes in the country in view of reinforcing maritime surveillance. The two principal areas of the partnership concern the mutual use of available means and information sharing.
Both Ministers hailed the collaboration and promised to scrupulously respect engagements and the laws in place. Alamine Ousmane Mey described the convention as a new chapter in the custom surveillance activities in the waters while Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o stressed the importance of the Ministry of Defence to support the Custom department realise its mission of generating revenue for the State budget as well as accompany the Defense ministry in preserving security in the maritime zone. For effective implementation of the agreement, a follow up committee has been created headed by the Director General of Customs assisted by the Navy Chief of Staff.
