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Arms Trafficking: Need For More Vigilance

Par Emmanuel
11 nov. 2024 10:18
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The Customs Sector of the Adamawa Region has gone into the annals of history since October 27 breaking 28, 2024 for the bravery of its officials who seized 3, 144 ammunition at the neighbourhood of Tchabal, 35 kilometres from the regional capital Ngaoundere. These ammunition found in a public transport vehicle were being ferried from Maroua in the Far North Region bound for the southern part of the country.
The presence of the ammunition in a public transport vehicle is indicative of the increasing danger that hovers over our society. It is difficult to predict who had to use the weapons, where and for what purpose. What is however, certain is the fact that it was just the tip of the iceberg in the trafficking and proliferation of arms and ammunition in our society. The proliferation and use of the arms by hoodlums to a large extent explains the high crime wave, insecurity, banditry, burglary, terrorist activities and assassinations witnessed both in the urban and rural areas of Cameroon. The unceasing insecurity perpetrated by non-State armed separatist fighters in the North West and South West Regions and crimes committed by cross-border rebels in the eastern border of Cameroon is partly justified by the trafficking and proliferation of arms.
The upsurge of insecurity in the country leaves no one indifferent considering that its effects go beyond imagination. As such, fighting insecurity and high wave of crime should be a collective responsibility with each actor expected to put in the maximum efforts. The synergy and prompt reactions of the different actors that led to the seizure of the ammunition in Ngaoundere should not only be copied but more importantly become a culture. The liaison between the Customs officials in Garoua who alerted their colleagues in Ngaoundere and the elements of the defence and security forces who reinforced the waiting Customs team in Tchabal is an indication of a perfect work synergy bound for results. The exemplary and patriotic work of the Customs officials have to be lauded and copied by all. Other officials in their place could become accomplices in the insecurity network by yielding to bribery for the ammunition to be freely ferried to wherever they will be used for obvious diabolic reasons.
To curb the rising wave of insecurity perpetrated mostly using trafficked, proliferated and illegally possessed arms and ammunition, everyone at his level has to redouble vigilance. The Customs officials in Maroua showed a glaring example by alerting their colleagues of Ngaoundere of the presence of suspicious goods on transit to the political capital Yaounde. Defence and security forces in charge of road safety on their part have a daunting mission in this domain. Police officials and Gendarmes in charge of security checks in Cameroon’s major highways should not only concentrate on checking the road worthiness of vehicles that ply the roads, identification documents of passengers and respect of the highway code but should equally be highly involved in checking some goods being transported. It is true that their mission is not essentially to check the content of goods. However, they have to actively participate in the synergy of government action to produce results.