Following a widely shared video that captured the incident, Cameroonian gendarmes armed with assault rifles were spotted on Central African soil in the village of Gasol—a clear breach of national sovereignty. The footage, filmed by local residents, showed the two officers allegedly engaged in extortion, prompting immediate intervention by Central African armed forces stationed in the area.
In response, the Central African military unit halted the gendarmes’ advance, disarmed them, and escorted them to the Beloko police station near the Cameroon border. The move underscored the Central African Republic’s firm stance on protecting its territorial integrity.
Diplomatic talks restore calm
On Tuesday, high-level representatives from both nations convened to address the incident. The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to uphold each country’s sovereignty and maintain peaceful relations along their shared border. The seized firearms were returned to Cameroonian authorities, and a joint monitoring committee was established to oversee the resolution process.
Longstanding border disputes persist
Tensions over the border region have simmered for decades, with Central African officials repeatedly accusing Cameroon of illegally occupying parts of the frontier zone—a claim Yaoundé continues to deny. While this recent incident has been resolved through dialogue, the underlying dispute remains a point of contention between the two neighboring states.
