Five Cameroonian hostages who were abducted by a Chadian armed gang have been freed and handed over to Cameroonian authorities in Ndjamena.
This followed a successful operation led by the Chadian Minister of Public Security, General Mahamat Charfadine Margui.
The handover of the hostages took place on March 29 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with representatives from both countries in attendance.
Among the dignitaries present were Chad’s Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary-General for the Ministry of Public Security, and the First Counsellor of the Cameroon Embassy in Chad.
The hostages were freed at the Chad-Cameroon border, where they had been held captive for days by armed groups which have been launching sporadic attacks along the borderline.
The operation to secure their release was conducted by General Mahamat Charfadine Margui, as part of a large-scale operation to combat transnational crime and ensuring the safety of foreign nationals within Chadian borders.
The Secretary General of Chad’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Beounngar David Doudjim, praised the determination of the defense and security forces to secure the release of the hostages.
He further hailed the valiance of the authorities in putting an end to the activities of the kidnappers disrupting the region.
The representative of Cameroon’s diplomatic mission to Chad also appreciated the efforts by the Chadian Government to maintain security along the troubled borderline.
Chad and Cameroon share a border spanning more than 1,100-kilometers. But the civilian population along this area are constantly troubled by attacks from the Boko Haram militant group and armed gangs.
The area is a hotspot for kidnappings, arms trafficking and farmer-herder conflicts.
In October last year, Defence Ministers from the two Central African nations met in the Cameroonian capital Yaoundé to map out strategies to combat transborder attacks and crime.
After the meeting, Cameroon’s Defence Minister, Joseph Beti Assomo, said the militaries of both countries have been instructed to jointly monitor attacks by Boko Haram extremists and armed gangs along the border.
