The Cameroonian police force is planning to introduce the Russian language into their training programme. Discussions are currently underway to facilitate this addition.
This initiative follows a request made on March 19 by the General Director of the Russian Linguistic Centre in Cameroon to the Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguele. Responding to the request on May 14, the Cameroonian Police Chief acknowledged the correspondence, stating:
“I have the honour to inform you that I agree to your organisation’s request of free Russian language learning courses for Cameroonian Police personnel for the period from June to December 2024, in the proceedings room of the National Higher Police School of Yaoundé, according to the proposed schedule,” he said.
“To this end, you would like to contact the Training Directorate of the General Delegation for National Security for the practical arrangements related to said activity,” added Police Chief Martin Mbarga Nguele.
“Please accept, Mr. Managing Director, the assurance of my perfect consideration,” he assured.
Cameroon currently has two official languages, English and French, which are essential for any officer of the law. However, French is predominantly used, even in the English-speaking regions of the North West and South West, where officers often communicate in French, creating a barrier for the local population. These are in addition to the over 260 languages spoken across the country of less than 30 million people.
With the introduction of the Russian language, questions arise about the potential impact of adding another language to the existing ones. Will it bring any significant changes?
