Like other institutions of the Republic, the Cameroon Defence and Security Forces need to keep a record of their history. This is achieved through the activities of their various structures, like the Secretariat of State to the Ministry of Defence, which is, to some extent, the custodian of the Defence memory.

The Secretariat of State to the Ministry of Defence in charge of Ex-Servicemen and War Victims’ remembrance activities rely on a core pillar, which is the Duty to Remember, a sacred duty. Indeed, the decree No. 2012/387 of September 14, 2012 to lay down the organization and functioning of this structure of the Cameroon Ministry of Defence provides in Article 12, that through its Memory and Remembrance Division, it is responsible for:

• maintaining and perpetuating the memory of all those who have died for the fatherland;
• passing on the duty of remembrance to future generations by arousing an ideal of love of the fatherland;
• commemorating major historical facts and events;
• keeping the card index of ex-servicemen and war victims.

These provisions relating to the maintenance, development and promotion of the sacred duty of Memory and Remembrance set out in article 3 of the same organic text, are to be implemented through a number of actions. The above-mentioned responsibilities can be broken down into several groups of activities.

Maintaining and perpetuating the memory of all those who died for the fatherland means that these actors, who are often ignored or forgotten, must be identified and given the tribute they deserve. These heroes will be recognized through intellectual productions such as written publications and audio-visual documentaries, as well as artistic and architectural creations such as memorials, steles and other monuments, and the enhancement of historical military sites (battlefields or ancient defence buildings).

 Passing on to future generations necessarily involves raising awareness among young people of the work and achievements of their predecessors in building the country and protecting it from the various threats to its territorial integrity and security.  Priority is given to young people in schools and universities, through communications, conferences, round tables, etc. These operations should help to keep the strong patriotic fibre within these young people, and encourage their possible desire to join the defence forces to uphold the action of the country’s heroes.   

It is also about facilitating access to data relating to our military history, hence the establishment of information and documentation centres, as well as military museums. 

These remembrance activities in particular, and those of the SED/CACVG in general, must be supported by a mastery of the population that this structure targets. For this reason, the SED/CACVG regularly conducts censuses of veterans and war victims, the results of which are entered into an up-to-date national database for maximum efficiency. 

A people without memory is a people without a future!