The Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic, Remy Ze Meka, Monday, December 17 at Ayaba Hotel, announced that top military officers have, henceforth, been barred from traveling abroad.

Ze Meka was speaking during a working session that followed the installation of the Northwest Gendarmerie Legion Commander, Lt. Col. Jules Essoh Cesar."No top military officer of any rank from this day, December 17, will be granted annual leave or be allowed to travel out of Cameroon for whatever reason," said Ze Meka.

He told the officers that anybody among the rank and file of the military who will toy with the internal or external security of Cameroon will have himself /herself to blame, for the consequences will be unbearable.

He said the high insecurity in the country has pushed the State and his Department to bar all travels by top military as concerns normal and private travels abroad and even the annual leave due to military personnel, until January 15, 2008.

The Minister Delegate exhorted the gendarmerie corps to be well informed by being in constant touch with the population. He warned that no gendarme officer should be caught inventing or bending the laws of the State.

Considering the high crime wave rocking the Northwest and the border problems with neighbouring countries, especially Nigeria, Ze Meka prescribed extreme vigilance.He said the military hierarchy has begun expunging individuals with doubtful behaviour and called on all his collaborators to respect hierarchy, be assiduous and rise to expectations.

The Minister equally said there would no longer be any laissez-faire attitudes and called for total collaboration between the administration and the respect of human rights.To the outgone Legion Commander, Col. Gadjama, Ze Meka congratulated him for accomplishing his task in the Northwest and urged Lt. Col. Essoh to emulate the example of his predecessor if he must succeed.

The ban on top military personnel from traveling abroad was likely prompted by the recent killings of 21 Cameroonian soldiers along the maritime boundary of oil rich Bakassi Peninsula.