Cameroon raises CFA 2.5bn for Anti-Boko Haram war chest

At least CFA 2.5 billion has been made available to Cameroon’s war chest from donations by citizens and the country’s leader in the campaign against the militant Islamist sect Boko Haram in its Far North region, Rene Emmanuel Sadi the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINATD) revealed.

He was speaking at the end of a meeting held in Yaounde on Saturday by the ad hoc inter-ministerial committee for the management of donations made to the people and defense forces.

According to Mr. Sadi, who also doubles as Chairman of the committee, out of the monies collected, which includes a special contribution by the country’s leader to the tune of CFA 160 million, CFA 1.5 billion will go to the defense and security forces.

The remainder will go to the victims of abuse by the jihadist movement.

In addition to the contributions in cash, other Cameroonians have made tons of in-kind donations to the army and civilians living in that part of the country.

However, according to MINATD, the delivery of these contributions has been marred by serious logistical problems.

The ad hoc management committee for donations to the people and defense forces was set up by President Paul Biya in April 2015 to monitor, collect and centralize assistances from within Cameroon, abroad and from various humanitarian organizations working elsewhere in the country.