Political Risk:
Very High
Score:
23/100
1
17/100
Is there formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy?
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The 1996 Constitution provides the National Assembly with areas of intervention in government policy. The Parliament can vote on, amend, and veto laws and…
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Regarding the effectiveness of legislative control over the defence policy, it is inconsistent. Specifically, laws are enacted at irregular intervals. For instance, the law…
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Parliament does not exercise independent legislative control over defence and national security policies. The ‘presidentialisation’ of security reinforces the authority of the person holding…
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2
17/100
Does the country have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar such organisations) to exercise oversight?
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The National Assembly comprises nine committees that focus on the study of current State affairs.[1] One of these is the Defence and Security Committee,…
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In terms of expertise, members of the Defence Commissions of both the National Assembly and Senate have no particular expertise in security issues. The…
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In legal terms, the committee does exist, but the effectiveness of its missions is so limited that it cannot exercise its power. [1] This…
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Although the committee exists in legal terms, its capacity to effectively carry out its mandate is greatly limited. In practice, the oversight it provides…
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In legal terms, the committee exist, but the effectiveness of its missions is so limited that it cannot exercise this power. Investigative procedures, which…
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In legal terms, the committee does exist, but the effectiveness of its missions is limited. As such, it cannot exercise this power.[1] Given that…
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3
6/100
Is the country’s national defence policy or national security strategy debated and publicly available?
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While it is acknowledged that the Defence Committee raised concerns regarding the signing of military cooperation agreements with Russia, the broader debate surrounding the…
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The debate on national defence strategy within Parliament seems superficial and embryonic: it consists only of oral questions and with no follow-up.[1] Debates on…
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Since the country’s independence, there has never been a formal consultation process involving the public. Colloquia held within military educational institutions do not serve…
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The Cameroonian army is characterised by an outdated approach to secrecy, often referred to as “the great mute”. [1] As a result, no documentation…
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4
8/100
Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption?
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There is no open policy towards CSOs. However some CSOs actively address human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings and police brutality by security…
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The Cameroon constitution guarantees freedom of expression and protects to CSOs. However, some laws, such as the anti-terrorism law, restrict this freedom. Additionally, there…
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Defence and security institutions recognise the potential positive role of some civil society organisations, but their actions regarding corruption are limited. They mostlty operate…
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5
75/100
Has the country signed up to the following international anti-corruption instruments: UNCAC and the OECD Convention?
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Cameroon has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The Convention was signed on 10 October 2003 and ratified by the President…
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Cameroon has established a national anti-corruption body. This body publishes annual reports and has introduced a toll-free number for reporting acts of corruption. It…
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6
13/100
Is there evidence of regular, active public debate on issues of defence? If yes, does the government participate in this debate?
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There is no public debate on defence issues.[1] When the Cameroonian army was established between 1959 and 1964, it was built on the myth…
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The Ministry of Defence’s communication with the public is not interactive. The debate on defence and security is limited as most security and defence…
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7
63/100
Does the country have an openly stated and effectively implemented anti-corruption policy for the defence sector?
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Cameroon has a comprehensive anti-corruption policy in line with international conventions. The current anti-corruption strartegy was released in December 2021 for the 2022-2026 period,(and…
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Regarding the effective implementation of the anti-corruption policy in Cameroon, it appears that the anti-corruption system suffers from significant institutional weaknesses. In the public…
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8
33/100
Are there independent, well-resourced, and effective institutions within defence and security tasked with building integrity and countering corruption?
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At MINDEF, there is an internal institutional service designed to strengthen integrity in the fight against corruption. The unit was created during the 2001…
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Regarding the independence of the general control of the armed forces, it is important to mention that it depends on the Ministry of Defence,…
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The ministry’s staff are aware that corruption is widespread within the organisation. This is why the Ministry’s inspection departments are collaborating with the country’s…
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9
NS/100
Does the public trust the institutions of defence and security to tackle the issue of bribery and corruption in their establishments?
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This indicator is not scored in the GDI. According to a national survey conducted between 2015 and 2021 by CONAC/NIS, the Ministry of Defence…
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10
0/100
Are there regular assessments of the areas of greatest corruption risk for ministry and armed forces personnel, and are the findings used as inputs to the anti-corruption policy?
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There is a partial assessment of the risks of corruption overall and accross all areas of public and private life in Cameroon, but no…
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There are no specific corruption risks assessments in the MINDEF, so this indicator is marked as Not Applicable.[1]
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There are no specific corruption risk assessments in the MINDEF, so this indicator is marked as Not Applicable. In the country, majority of colonels…
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11
33/100
Does the country have a process for acquisition planning that involves clear oversight, and is it publicly available?
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The country has a procurement planning process, even though it is not designed for the long term. This is due to the budgetary mechanisms…
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The public has access to certain information relating to the process itself, but some details may be withheld from publication for reasons of defence…
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The parliament is involved on the oversight of the security sector in Cameroon through oral questions froms MPs to the Minister of Defence. The…
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12
38/100
Is the defence budget transparent, showing key items of expenditure? And it is provided to the legislature in a timely fashion?
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Cameroon’s defence budget is presented very vaguely, with no specific items of expenditure shown. Generally, the political and military authorities announce the overall budget…
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The entire National Assembly receives the defence budget proposal less than two months before the start of the financial year. However, the Budget and…
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13
63/100
Is there a legislative committee (or other appropriate body) responsible for defence budget scrutiny and analysis in an effective way?
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There is a Defence Committee in both the National Assembly and the Senate of Cameroon, responsible for all matters related to the security sector,…
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In practice, there is a significant parliamentary deficit in the democratic control of the security sector[1]. The Parliament examines the budget and tries to…
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14
17/100
Is the approved defence budget made publicly available? In practice, can citizens, civil society, and the media obtain detailed information on the defence budget?
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Most areas of the approved defence budget are published and citizens, media, and civil society can access them, despite the presence of upstream control…
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The national defence policy, which is part of the National Development Strategy (SDN 30), is central to the desire to strengthen the rule of…
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There is no Freedom of Information law or similar legislative framework that clearly outlines the procedures for citizens to request information on the defence…
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15
8/100
Are sources of defence income other than from central government allocation (from equipment sales or property disposal, for example) published and scrutinised?
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It is important to note that, since Cameroon does not possess an arms industry like some other countries on the international scene, it finds…
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This control is effective despite many flaws stemming from the low level of democratic practice in Cameroon. Regarding internal audit, it is carried out…
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Public scrutiniy of non-central governement sources of funding, such as donations and free trainings for the Cameroonian armed forces, is minimal. Civil Society Organisations…
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16
31/100
Is there an effective internal audit process for defence ministry expenditure (that is, for example, transparent, conducted by appropriately skilled individuals, and subject to parliamentary oversight)?
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Internal control within the Cameroon Ministry of Defence is carried out by the General Control Department and the General Inspectorate of the Cameroonian Defence…
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In normal cases, Parliament exercises oversight over defence and security policies. Audits within the National Assembly take the form of parliamentary enquiries and oral…
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Firstly, the MINDEF audits from last yea still have not been submitted to the body responsible for fighting corruption in Cameroon (CONAC). For example,…
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The first thing to consider is that the reports of the internal audit, carried out by the general control of the armed forces and…
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17
0/100
Is there effective and transparent external auditing of military defence expenditure?
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The Court of Auditors of the Supreme Court, under Section 7 of Law No. 2003/005, has the authority to audit the budgets and expenditures…
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To date, a proper defence audit has not yet been carried out by the Court of Auditors [1] . In practice, there is no…
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There is no effective external audit of Defence Ministry expenditure; this indicator is marked as Not Applicable. External audit reports are published; the last…
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There is no external audit of defence ministry expenditure, so this indicator is marked as Not Applicable.[1] [2]
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18
20/100
Is there evidence that the country’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation and, if so, are these interests publicly stated and subject to scrutiny?
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There is no specific legal provision restricting defence and security forces from having interests in businesses related to the country’s natural resources or exploitation.…
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The defence institutions in Cameroon are not involved in businesses related to the country’s natural resource exploitation. Defence institutions are regalian organisations that are…
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In Cameroon, the military is not directly involved in the exploitation of natural resources. However, they can profit from certain resources, but they are…
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In cases where individuals within the Defence forces have an interest in controling or exploiting the country’s natural resources, these interests are not publicly…
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In cases where individuals within the Defence forces have an interest in controlling or exploiting the country’s natural resources, these interests are not subjected…
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19
50/100
Is there evidence, for example through media investigations or prosecution reports, of a penetration of organised crime into the defence and security sector? If no, is there evidence that the government is alert and prepared for this risk?
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In Cameroon, organised crime has somewhat infiltrated the defence sector.[1] Some officers, including soldiers, gendarmes and police forces cooperate with bandits and gangs. In…
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The government has been taking some actions to address the involvement of soldiers, gendarmerie, and policemen in organised crime. However, the fight against organised…
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20
17/100
Is there policing to investigate corruption and organised crime within the defence services and is there evidence of the effectiveness of this policing?
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At the national level, the department responsible for investigating corruption and organised crime is the Ppolice. [1] In this context, we have the Judicial…
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The services responsible for fighting organised crime and corruption are not fully independent. At national level, the Judicial Police Directorate, the National Central Bureau…
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In general, the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases within defence institutions are not regular. Many high-ranking officials are involved in embezzlement or corruption…
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21
0/100
Are the policies, administration, and budgets of the intelligence services subject to effective and independent oversight?
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The issue of controlling the policies, administration, and budgets of Cameroon’s intelligence services is very complex. These services exist, and in this respect, we…
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In Cameroon, there is no independent oversight of the intelligence service’s policies, administration, and budgets, so this indicator is marked Not Applicable.[1][2]
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22
0/100
Are senior positions within the intelligence services filled on the basis of objective selection criteria, and are appointees subject to investigation of their suitability and prior conduct?
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The appointments within the intelligence services are governed by the discretionary power of the Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces. There are…
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It is the President of the Republic or his close collaborators who examine the profiles of all the candidates for senior positions in the…
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There is no known verification process in Cameroon, and most appointments for these positions are solely at the discretion of the Presidency of the…
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23
NEI/100
Does the government have a well-scrutinised process for arms export decisions that aligns with Articles 7.1.iv, 11.5, and 15.6 of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)?
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Cameroon signed the Arms Trade Treaty on 03 December 2014 and ratified it on 18 June 2018.[1] It is legally binding on states that…
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Despite searches from research participants and open sources, there is insufficient evidence to assess the compliance of Cameroon with the three articles of the…
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Cameroon is not an arms exporter; therefore, this sub-indicator is scored as Not Applicable.[1]
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Lobbying is virtually unknown in Cameroon. In other countries, such as the United States, lobbyists collaborate with parliamentarians to influence their decisions for the…
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Cameroon lacks legislation that regulates lobbying in the defence sector, so this indicator is marked as Not Applicable.[1][2]
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Cameroon lacks legislation that regulates lobbying in the defence sector, so this indicator is marked as Not Applicable.[1][2]
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Cameroon lacks legislation that regulates lobbying in the defence sector, so this indicator is marked as Not Applicable.[1][2]
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Defence and Security Policy and Policy Transparency
Q1
NA/100
Is there formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy?
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Q2
NA/100
Does the country have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar such organisations) to exercise oversight?
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Q3
NA/100
Is the country’s national defence policy or national security strategy debated and publicly available?
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Q4
NA/100
Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption?
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Q5
NA/100
Has the country signed up to the following international anti-corruption instruments: UNCAC and the OECD Convention?
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Q6
NA/100
Is there evidence of regular, active public debate on issues of defence? If yes, does the government participate in this debate?
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Q7
NA/100
Does the country have an openly stated and effectively implemented anti-corruption policy for the defence sector?
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Q8
NA/100
Are there independent, well-resourced, and effective institutions within defence and security tasked with building integrity and countering corruption?
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Q9
NA/100
Does the public trust the institutions of defence and security to tackle the issue of bribery and corruption in their establishments?
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Q10
NA/100
Are there regular assessments of the areas of greatest corruption risk for ministry and armed forces personnel, and are the findings used as inputs to the anti-corruption policy?
View QuestionDefence Budgets
Q11
NA/100
Does the country have a process for acquisition planning that involves clear oversight, and is it publicly available?
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Q12
NA/100
Is the defence budget transparent, showing key items of expenditure? And it is provided to the legislature in a timely fashion?
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Q13
NA/100
Is there a legislative committee (or other appropriate body) responsible for defence budget scrutiny and analysis in an effective way?
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Q14
NA/100
Is the approved defence budget made publicly available? In practice, can citizens, civil society, and the media obtain detailed information on the defence budget?
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Q15
NA/100
Are sources of defence income other than from central government allocation (from equipment sales or property disposal, for example) published and scrutinised?
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Q16
NA/100
Is there an effective internal audit process for defence ministry expenditure (that is, for example, transparent, conducted by appropriately skilled individuals, and subject to parliamentary oversight)?
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Q17
NA/100
Is there effective and transparent external auditing of military defence expenditure?
View QuestionNexus of Defence and National Assets
Q18
NA/100
Is there evidence that the country’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation and, if so, are these interests publicly stated and subject to scrutiny?
View QuestionOrganised Crime
Q19
NA/100
Is there evidence, for example through media investigations or prosecution reports, of a penetration of organised crime into the defence and security sector? If no, is there evidence that the government is alert and prepared for this risk?
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Q20
NA/100
Is there policing to investigate corruption and organised crime within the defence services and is there evidence of the effectiveness of this policing?
View QuestionControl of Intelligence Services
Q21
NA/100
Are the policies, administration, and budgets of the intelligence services subject to effective and independent oversight?
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Q22
NA/100
Are senior positions within the intelligence services filled on the basis of objective selection criteria, and are appointees subject to investigation of their suitability and prior conduct?
View QuestionExport Controls
Q23
NA/100