Cameroonian Soldiers Deserting to Fight in Russia, Ukraine – ISS Reports

A growing number of Cameroonian soldiers are reportedly abandoning their posts to join the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia, according to a recent analysis by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

The report, which cites a March 7 statement from Cameroon’s Minister of Defence, details a trend of military desertion that has gained traction since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The ISS notes that, although desertion within the Cameroonian armed forces is not new, it is now particularly alarming due to the Russia–Ukraine war.

Cameroonian soldiers are now enlisting either as “foreign volunteers” fighting for Ukraine or as “Putin’s Tirailleurs” who have signed contracts to fight alongside Russian troops, according to the ISS.

This development comes amid persistent security challenges within Cameroon. These include the Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North, transborder conflict in the East, and the ongoing Anglophone separatist conflict in the North West and South West Regions.

These conflicts, experts say, have provided the Cameroonian military with greater combat experience and some of them are now traditions their skills for lucrative sums.

A Long-standing Issue

The problem of desertion in Cameroon’s military dates back to at least the late 2010s, when elite officers followed lucrative offers to provide private security in the Middle East.

According to ISS data, between 300 and 800 soldiers had deserted by 2018. By 2020, reports indicated that 637 soldiers were facing dismissal due to unauthorized absence.

“What distinguishes this wave of desertions is that soldiers are abandoning their posts to join a high-intensity warzone,” the ISS wrote.

“Using local networks of recruiters, Russia has attracted numerous Cameroonian soldiers. Some, interviewed by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), reported monthly salaries of XAF 1.2 million (US$1,976) to XAF 1.5 million (US$2,479), with specialists receiving at least XAF 2 million (US$3,294),” the ISS stated.

Professionalism of Cameroonian Army

The think tank argues that these desertions are an unintended outcome of the professionalisation of Cameroon’s armed forces, a process that began with a series of government reforms starting in 2001.

The shift from compulsory service to a contract-based professional army has changed the nature of the Cameroonian army.

Quoting French sociologist Augustin Hamon, the ISS noted that soldiers now approach the military as a source of income rather than a patriotic duty, which has gradually transformed the army into a technically skilled and combat-experienced workforce.

Under the current army structure, contracts for soldiers last three years for enlisted personnel and 10 years for officers. Yet, most soldiers are automatically re-enlisted at the end of their contracts—often without their knowledge, a senior Cameroonian military officer told the ISS.

The report acknowledges that the remuneration gap between domestic and foreign military service is a primary factor driving these decisions.

In Cameroon, a second-class private earns a base monthly salary of XAF 51,880 (US$85) after two years of service. When deployed to combat zones, they may receive an additional XAF 90,000 (US$148) in allowances.

But in Russia, they earn at least US$2,000 per month for front-line deployment—an offer described by one Cameroonian officer interviewed by the ISS as a “golden suffering.”