French-African military treaties, an important aspect of ‘Françafrique

"Triple Agent, Double Cross" is a political thriller novel by Janvier Chouteu-Chando (also published as part of his Compradors Series). It is set in an African country (implied to draw from real-world contexts like Cameroon, based on the author's background and themes in his works).
The story follows Gavin Njike, a former child prodigy who loses his family in tragic circumstances tied to the country's first dictatorship. Driven by a desire for vengeance, he becomes entangled in the brutal political machinery of the new regime supported by major global powers.
Gavin ends up working as an informant or agent within the oppressive system—effectively serving the very forces responsible for his family's destruction. He navigates layers of deception, becoming a triple agent (involved in multiple levels of betrayal and double-dealing) amid shifting alliances, opposition movements, and international intrigue.
As the regime and its foreign backers exploit his information for a large-scale crackdown on emerging opposition leaders, Gavin faces his inner demons. He turns increasingly ruthless and deceptive to survive and confront the betrayal. The narrative explores themes of revenge, moral compromise, geopolitical manipulation, and the harsh realities of authoritarian rule backed by external interests.
The book is described as a gripping international thriller that highlights the brutality of such a regime while weaving in elements of suspense, personal tragedy, and high-stakes espionage. It questions the chances of survival in a world of constant deception and shifting loyalties.

Gavin Nemafou Njike (The Hawk) transitions from a state operative to a triple agent through several calculated actions aimed at undermining the regime he ostensibly serves:

Infiltration of the Opposition: Dispatched by President Pablo-Nero Essomba’s intelligence service, Gavin successfully enters the heart of the underground opposition movement in Bamenda.
Provision of Strategic Information: He provides information to the government about the opposition's leaders. However, this is done with the intent of misleading or trapping the regime, as his true loyalties do not lie with Essomba.
Sabotage of "Operation Clean Sweep": When the regime and its foreign backers attempt to use his information to launch a nationwide purge to eliminate opposition heads, Gavin actively thwarts these efforts, rendering the government's operation a failure from the start.
Adoption of Ruthless Deceit: After being kept in the dark about specific government operations—such as the assassination of dissident Vincent Ndi Chi—Gavin "confronts his ghosts" by becoming intentionally ruthless and deceitful toward his superiors to protect the opposition and seek penance for his family's past tragedies.
Maneuvering International Conspiracies: He navigates complex web of international backers and local corruption, using his position to survive a reality where he must trick both his official employers and the foreign powers supporting them.
The characters navigate a brutal mafia-style dictatorship in Cameroon (referred to as Kamerun in some editions).
The primary characters include:
- Gavin Nemafou Njike (Code-named "The Hawk"): The protagonist and a seasoned secret agent. He is dispatched by the regime to infiltrate an underground opposition movement in Bamenda as a double agent. However, his true loyalties do not lie with the ruling regime, leading him to become a triple agent as he maneuvers through international conspiracies and personal betrayal.
- President Pablo-Nero Essomba: The authoritarian leader of Cameroon's sole legal political party. He is deeply concerned about his regime's survival and the potential for tribal domination to shift against his people if he falls from power.
- Vincent Ndi Chi: An "agitator" and leader within the opposition whose assassination serves as a catalyst for the unrest boiling within the society.
- Foreign Backers: International powers that support the Essomba regime and participate in operations to eliminate opposition leaders behind Gavin's back.

Key Plot Points:

Vengeance & Recruitment: After losing his family, prodigy Gavin Njike joins the national intelligence service, unknowingly serving those responsible, but his past trauma resurfaces when dissident Vincent Chi is killed.
Infiltration: Tasked with infiltrating the opposition, Gavin (The Hawk) dives into a world of secrets, facing a reality far stranger than fiction as he gets entangled with powerful figures and shadowy operations.
Political Instability: The nation is on edge, with President Essomba fearing a fall from power due to tribal conflicts, leading to drastic measures against the growing opposition.
Betrayal & Deception: Gavin's intelligence is used by the regime and its foreign backers for a major crackdown, forcing him to embrace extreme ruthlessness and deception to survive, blurring lines between loyalty and betrayal.

Themes:

Identity & Legacy: Explores complex identities, national allegiances, and the destructive impact of colonial history and ethnic strife in Cameroon.
Espionage & Morality: Delves into the dark world of intelligence, where agents become pawns in larger games, forcing difficult moral choices.
Power & Corruption: Highlights political corruption, the struggle for power, and the exploitation of nations by internal forces and foreign backers.

Overall:
The story of Gavin Njike, a young intelligence operative code-named 'The Hawk', whose quest for vengeance for his family's killers leads him deep into a treacherous underground opposition movement, forcing him to become ruthless and deceitful while navigating deadly political plots, foreign interference, and his own fractured past as the nation teeters on unrest under President Pablo-Nero Essomba, is Cameroon's quintessential political thriller. And it is a fast-paced thriller filled with political intrigue, surprising twists, and intense human emotions as Gavin navigates a dangerous path where his quest for personal vengeance collides with national instability and international conspiracies, promising a complex journey into a world stranger than he imagined