Equatorial Guinea agrees to pause construction of border wall with Cameroon

Equatorial Guinea has agreed to pause the construction of a controversial border wall with Cameroon after talks between the two countries' defense ministers in Yaounde, according to a news report by Cameroon Online.

The two sides also agreed once again to withdraw troops from their disputed border after deadly clashes left at least seven people dead. An agreement earlier this month to withdraw forces failed to hold and some border traders are skeptical of this latest pact.

After the second day of closed-door meetings in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea's Defense Minister, Leandro Bekale Nkogo has said that the two sides agreed to set aside their differences.

He said that troops from the two countries that have been deployed to the border will return to their barracks and only come out to protect their civilians in times of crisis.

Nkogo has said Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea will henceforth jointly combat their common enemies, who are poachers, pirates resurfacing in the Gulf of Guinea, and armed groups attacking and looting civilians in both countries.

On June 29, consultation meeting of the Defense Ministers of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea has been held in Cameroon's capital city Yaounde to ease border tensions between both countries.

Equatorial Guinea's President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema has ordered the border wall to be built in 2019 to stop Cameroonians and West Africans from illegally entering the country.

Cameroon deployed its army to stop what it called an intrusion of border markers, leading to armed conflicts and casualties.