Central African Armed Forces (FACA) disarmed a group of Cameroonian soldiers following a border incident that occurred on 1 August in the village of Gasol, in the western Nana-Mambéré Region of the Central African Republic (CAR), according to Radio Ndeke Luka. The incident took place near the border with the Cameroonian town of Garoua-Boulaï, where FACA troops stationed at an outpost reportedly encountered Cameroonian soldiers conducting what was described as a routine patrol inside Central African territory. Viewing their presence as unauthorised, Central African forces confiscated the soldiers' weapons and detained them pending bilateral discussions.
According to local officials, the confrontation is linked to a long-running dispute over the demarcation of the border between the two countries. Koundé Mayor Yaouba Zedou said tensions date back to 2013, when local authorities accused Cameroon of occupying sections of Central African territory following years of insecurity in the border area.
The two governments held talks in the border town of Beloko on 5 August, where military and administrative representatives agreed to defuse the situation. Under the agreement, the confiscated weapons were returned to the Cameroonian soldiers, and both sides reaffirmed their commitment to resolving outstanding border issues through dialogue. Officials also agreed to continue discussions during a meeting of the bilateral border commission scheduled to take place in Bouar in September.
Despite generally stable diplomatic relations, Cameroon and the Central African Republic continue to face recurring security challenges along their approximately 900-kilometre shared border. Cross-border movement by armed groups, organised crime and unresolved demarcation issues have periodically complicated security cooperation in the frontier region. Neither government reported casualties or injuries resulting from the incident, which both sides described as having been resolved through diplomatic channels.
