Cameroon

Declaration:

Pursuant to article 3 (2) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, the Government of Cameroon declares the following:
1. There is no conscription in Cameroon. Recruitment into the defence forces is voluntary, and forced military service does not exist.
The minimum age for entry into the defence forces and national service is eighteen (18) years, pursuant to article 2 of Decree No. 2001/187 of 25 July 2001, which establishes the conditions for recruitment and admission to officer training schools; article 12 of Decree No. 2001/190 of 25 July 2001 on the specific status of defence force personnel below the rank of officer; and article 30 of Law No. 67/LF/9 of 12 June 1967 on the general organization of defence.
2. The following measures have been taken as additional safeguards:
a) Recruitment is widely publicized in the media;
b) Prior to admission to military service, reliable proof of age is required of all candidates, i.e., a certified copy of the candidate’s birth certificate no more than three (3) months old;
c) Candidates who are not eighteen (18) years of age or older must provide the written, informed consent of a parent or legal guardian;
d) A background check is conducted to confirm the accuracy of the information providedby the candidate;
e) Candidates undergo a medical fitness examination;
f) During training, members of the defence forces are fully informed of the duties associated with military service;
g) The defence forces provide the public with regular information on the duties associated with military service, through radio and television broadcasts as well in the print media.