Security Services in Cameroon

Cameroon’s corporate security picture divides sharply by region. The Northwest and most of the Southwest regions sit under an active armed conflict, the Anglophone Crisis, running since 2016-2017, and the Far North carries a documented Boko Haram threat near the Nigeria border. Douala and Yaounde, the country’s economic and political capitals respectively, are not under either of those specific FCDO warnings, but they sit within a national risk assessment, US State Department Level 2, that cites crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and IED risk across the country as a whole.

A licensing regime that exists on paper more than in practice

Cameroon’s private security sector operates under Law No. 97/021 (1997) and its subsequent amendments, requiring Cameroonian incorporation, majority local shareholding, presidential approval, and Minister of Territorial Administration authorisation. That framework is real, but enforcement has been documented as genuinely weak. A 2016 government crackdown found only around 9 of more than 100 operating private security firms actually held the required presidential approval. This is not a footnote: it means a company’s own claim to be licensed is not sufficient verification on its own, and checking an operator’s actual authorisation status and track record is a necessary step rather than an optional extra.

Unarmed protection as the only lawful model

Private security personnel in Cameroon must operate unarmed. Only police, military, and other state-authorised bodies may legally carry firearms while on duty. Executive protection here, as in several other markets on this site with similar restrictions, relies on planning, local liaison, and disciplined movement rather than a firearm.

Douala and Yaounde carry a similar baseline risk, different sectors

OSAC assesses both Douala and Yaounde as medium-threat for terrorism directed at government interests, with armed robbery and carjacking documented in both cities, worsened by high unemployment and under-resourced policing. Douala, as Cameroon’s largest city, main seaport, and economic capital, draws port, logistics, and general commercial-sector visitors. Yaounde, the political capital, carries a stronger diplomatic and NGO presence given the concentration of embassies and international organisations there. Kidnapping risk in the country concentrates in the conflict-affected Northwest and Southwest regions and near the Nigeria and Central African Republic borders, not primarily within either city.

Source: FCDO Cameroon travel advice (9 February 2026). US State Department Cameroon Travel Advisory, Level 2 (renewed 15 May 2026). OSAC Cameroon Crime and Safety Reports. Private Security Observatory, Cameroon national private security sector mapping. Law No. 97/021 (1997) and Presidential Decree No. 2015/407.

Vetted operators across Cameroon provide bodyguard hire and executive protection, selected for verified authorisation and track record given the country’s inconsistently enforced licensing regime. For a city-level threat and regulatory briefing, see our Douala close protection guide or the Yaounde security briefing.