(Business in Cameroon) – Minister Delegate to the Presidency in charge of Defense, Joseph Beti Assomo, announced a new recruitment drive for the Cameroonian defense forces in two communiqués signed on September 18. The process aims to enlist 9,410 young people into the army and gendarmerie.
Specifically, 6,070 positions are open in the army, including 700 for general service non-commissioned officer cadets and 40 for military health non-commissioned officer cadets. An additional 5,330 soldiers and sailors will be recruited in the ten regional capitals. Separately, 3,340 positions are available for the gendarmerie, consisting of 300 non-commissioned officers for general service, 40 for military health, and 3,000 trainee gendarmes.
To be eligible, military candidates must be single, at least 18 years old by December 31, 2025, and no older than 23 by that same date. Gendarmerie candidates must be at least 18 and no older than 28, depending on the specific roles.
All applicants must have a clean criminal record and be physically fit to pass the required medical, intellectual, and physical tests. The minimum academic requirement is a Brevet d’études du premier cycle (BEPC), a Certificat d’aptitude professionnelle (CAP), or a GCE/OL. A minimum height of 1.66 meters is mandatory for all candidates, who must submit their applications by November 28, 2025.
This large-scale recruitment follows the recent enrollment of 1,800 commandos for the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), an elite army unit. These regular recruitment campaigns are designed to offset desertions, rejuvenate the defense forces, and strengthen the army’s operational capabilities amid ongoing security tensions.
Cameroon is grappling with several security threats. Since 2015, the army has been engaged in a fight against Boko Haram in the Far North. It has also been fighting separatists in the Northwest and Southwest regions since 2016 and is fending off repeated incursions by Central African rebel groups in the east.
Frédéric Nonos
