The Cameroonian Army special force unit – the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) has adopted the Turkish-made MPT-76 assault rifle.
The BIR first showcased the rifle last year during a parade in May, at the country’s National Day celebration. Cameroon version has the 16-inches barrel.
The MPT-76 is a modern battle rifle of Turkish origin. It was developed in the late 2000’s by MKEK as a next generation service rifle for Turkish use. The design of the MPT-76 is based on an earlier prototype weapon, the Mehmetcik-1. This was in turn inspired by the German HK 416 assault rifle.
The MPT-76 is a gas operated weapon that uses a short stroke gas piston and a rotating bolt. Overall the MPT-76 can be considered an AR-15 type rifle with visual similarity to the HK 417. It features a quad Picatinny rail on the forearm and a retractable polymer stock. A removable carry handle and polymer angled grip in front of the magazine well give the MPT-76 a distinctive appearance.
The MPT-76 fires the 7.62x51mm NATO round from a 20 round magazine. It is a select-fire rifle, although the recoil of its caliber makes full automatic fire of limited use. The cyclic rate of fire is 650 rpm. The MPT-76 is produced in three barrel lengths, with the longest one for use in the designated marksman role.
The MPT-76 has been adopted by the Turkish military. The MPT-76 is also used by Azerbaijan.
In Africa, the weapon has been exported to Senegal, and Somalia with 450 rifles delivered, used by Gorgor (Eagle) commandos.
Cameroon is beset with two major violent conflicts but also faces rising ethno-political tensions on- and offline. The bigger conflict, between the government and separatists from the English-speaking minority, started in 2017 and has killed over 6,000 people. It has displaced 765,000 people, of whom over 70,000 are refugees in Nigeria.
The security situation remains highly volatile in the Anglophone north-west and south-west regions. Armed clashes between government forces and separatist groups, as well as infighting among different separatist groups, continued unabated.
Funding challenges continues to stymy Cameron’s efforts to curb the security threats within its borders. Part of the reason for the lack of funds to properly cater for its military needs is that in 2019, the United States government halted it’s military assistance to Cameroon following the country’s continous human rights violation.
The US has been under severe criticism for supporting the brutal Paul Biya regime which has seen Cameroonian military repeatedly targeting civilians.