IIJ Strengthens Institutional Partnerships and Regional Judicial Cooperation during TJ CTAC in Cameroon
During the 4th edition of the CTAC Trial Judges course held in Yaoundé in February 2026, the Academic Unit of the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) conducted a series of high-level bilateral engagements aimed at reinforcing institutional partnerships and strengthening counter-terrorism justice capacities in Cameroon and across West and Central Africa.
The IIJ team had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sylvestre Djiofack, Director of Military Justice in Cameroon. In Cameroon, military magistrates play a central role in handling terrorism cases. The discussion offered a valuable opportunity to exchange insights on regional terrorist threats and identify priority needs for capacity building, ensuring terrorism cases are managed effectively and in full compliance with the rule of law. The meeting also opened a dialogue on how the IIJ can further support Cameroonian practitioners in their counter-terrorism efforts.
In addition, the team met with the Director General and senior officials of the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM). Given ENAM’s central role in training both administrative and judicial officials, discussions highlighted strong complementarities with the IIJ’s mission. The meeting laid the groundwork for structured and forward-looking cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism justice.
The team was also received by Her Excellency Marie-Claude Harvey, High Commissioner of Canada to Cameroon, together with Political Counsellor Mr Richard Le Bars. Canada, a longstanding supporter of the Institute, reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening rule-of-law-based counter-terrorism efforts. Discussions focused on ensuring that IIJ capacity-building initiatives remain closely aligned with the operational priorities of Cameroonian practitioners.
In parallel, the CTAC programme fostered regional judicial dialogue. Forty-three investigators, prosecutors and trial judges from Cameroon and from previous CTAC hosted participating trial judges of the 4th TJ CTAC coming from eight countries across West and Central Africa gathered to exchange experiences and reinforce professional ties within the CTAC practitioners’ community.
A highlight of the programme was a visit to the Military Tribunal of Yaoundé, where participants attended terrorism-related hearings and engaged directly with senior judicial officials. The visit offered practical insight into Cameroonian counter-terrorism procedures and the functioning of military jurisdiction in such cases.
These engagements reflect the IIJ’s continued commitment to fostering institutional cooperation, regional peer exchange, and practical capacity-building initiatives in support of effective and rule-of-law-based responses to terrorism.