Cameroon's president seeks an eighth term at the age of 92
YAOUNDE, Cameroon — Cameroon's 92-year-old president announced Sunday he will seek his eighth term in the October elections. The announcement comes after speculation the aging leader would not run, setting the stage for an electoral showdown.
Paul Biya, Africa's second-longest-serving president after Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, is frequently sick and abroad. Last year, talk spread that he had died, prompting the government to publicly deny the rumors. Cameroon's second president since independence from France in 1960, Biya has been in power since 1982.
Promising that the best is yet to come in his post on social media, Biya reiterated his determination to rule, saying, 'Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us.'
The more than 40 years of Biya's rule have left a lasting impact. His government has faced various challenges, including allegations of corruption and a secessionist movement in Cameroon's English-speaking provinces that has forced thousands out of school and triggered deadly clashes with security forces.
'President Biya's announcement to run again is a clear sign of Cameroon's stalled political transition. After over 40 years in power, what the country needs is renewal — not repetition. Cameroonians deserve democratic change and accountable leadership,' Nkongho Felix Agbor, a human rights advocate and lawyer told The Associated Press.
Cameroon has also had to deal with spillover violence by the Islamic extremist Boko Haram group, based in neighbouring Nigeria.
Recently, several of Biya's longtime allies defected to announce their own candidacies for president.
He cruised to victory in 2018 with over 70 per cent of the vote in an election marred by irregularities and low turnout due to ongoing separatist and jihadi violence.
In a region threatened with shrinking democratic space, several other African countries also have presidents accused of using state mechanisms to prolong their stay in power. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently sought nomination for a seventh term, a move that would bring him closer to five decades in power in the East African country.
Nalova Akua And Wilson Mcmakin, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Appeals court tosses judge's contempt finding against Trump administration in prison deportations
WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court on Friday tossed out a judge's contempt finding against the Trump administration in a case over deportations to an El Salvador prison. The decision from the appeals court based in the nation's capital reverses a finding from U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg that there was probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt of court. Boasberg had accused President Donald Trump's administration officials of rushing deportees out of the country under the Alien Enemies Act last month before they could challenge their removal in court, and then willfully disregarding his order that planes already in the air should return to the United States. The Republican administration has denied violating his order.
Toronto Star
32 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Belarus journalist is convicted of treason and jailed for 10 years as crackdown on dissent continues
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Belarusian journalist was convicted of treason and revealing state secrets and was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a closed trial, a media group said Friday, the eve of the fifth anniversary of a disputed election that kept authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko in power and unleashed mass protests. Danil Palianski, who worked for several independent news agencies, was sentenced on July 25, but the trial's outcome was only revealed Friday by the Belarusian Association of Journalists. In addition to the prison sentence, Palianski was fined the equivalent of about $7,000.
Toronto Sun
32 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Germany halts exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza
Published Aug 08, 2025 • 5 minute read German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. Photo by Ebrahim Noroozi / AP BERLIN — Germany won't authorize any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza 'until further notice,' Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, in a strikingly quick response by one of Israel's strongest international backers to a decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet to take over Gaza City. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The move by Germany, which has previously stopped short of tougher lines against Israel's government taken by some of its European Union allies, appeared likely to further isolate Israel in the wake of the military takeover plan that has been decried by the United Nations, aid and human rights groups, and supporters of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, among others. Germany, along with the United States and Italy, is among the top foreign suppliers of equipment used by Israel's military. The pause in German military supplies adds to action taken by European countries — including economic, military and diplomatic measures — against Israel in recent months out of concern over its government's conduct in the nearly two-year war in Gaza. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Merz said in a statement that Israel 'has the right to defend itself against Hamas' terror' and that the release of Israeli hostages and purposeful negotiations toward a ceasefire are 'our top priority.' He said that Hamas mustn't have a role in the future of Gaza. 'The even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli Cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved,' he said. 'Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorize any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice.' It wasn't immediately clear which military equipment from Germany would be affected. Asked by The Associated Press for details about which military hardware would be affected, the German government declined to comment. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The German government remains deeply concerned about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, Merz said. 'With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility than before for providing for their needs,' he said. Merz called on Israel to allow comprehensive access for aid deliveries — including for UN organizations and other nongovernmental organizations — and said that Israel 'must continue to comprehensively and sustainably address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.' The move has particular weight because Germany has been seen as one of Israel's strongest supporters — arguably surpassed only by the United States. Germany has maintained a strongly pro-Israel stance for decades largely because of its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, which has shaped its postwar foreign policy around ensuring Israel's security and combating antisemitism. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Merz's government didn't join announcements by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Prime Minister Keir Starmer that their governments plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state in September. The reluctance so far of Germany, the EU's biggest economic power, to take a tougher line on the actions of Netanyahu's government clouded the prospects that international pressure might have an impact on Israel's decisions. Israel's air and ground war has already killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. The campaign was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 people. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Merz also called on Israel's government 'not to take any further steps toward annexing the West Bank.' A 'big deal' but not decisive According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI, last year, Germany was the No. 2 supplier of arms to Israel after the United States. German companies provide 30% of Israel's defence imports, mostly naval armaments, according to data analyzed by Zain Hussain, an arms transfers researcher at SIPRI. He suggested the pullback by Germany — which has deep political support for and strong defence ties with Israel — would be temporary. 'This is going to be a limited measure,' Hussain said. 'Germany has been committed to providing Israel with arms, especially with ships.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It is a big deal I suppose in the sense that Germany _ which has been committed to Israel's security and has stood firmly with it — is openly admitting that it is uncomfortable with Israel's actions and limiting some arms transfers, and for Germany this is a huge deal,' he said. 'However, I don't think this alone will stop Israel's operations in Gaza, and Israel still has the USA as a committed arms supplier.' German-made engines can be fitted in Israeli Merkava tanks and Namer armored personnel carriers, which are actively deployed in Gaza. Sa'ar corvettes — small warships festooned with sophisticated radar equipment and cannons — from Germany have been used to shell targets in Gaza during the war, Hussain said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a post on X, European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen said Israel's extension of military operations in Gaza 'must be reconsidered,' in her strongest criticism yet during the war. She also made yet another call for Israel to let in more aid. The foreign ministers of the Netherlands and Denmark called Israel's decision to intensify the operation 'wrong' and expressed concerns for civilians and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Last week, even before the Gaza City takeover plan, Slovenia announced that it would ban the import, export and transit of all weapons to and from Israel in response to the country's actions in Gaza — saying it was the first EU member country to do so. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Last month, two dozen mostly European countries condemned Israel's restrictions on aid shipments into Gaza and the killings of hundreds of Palestinians trying to reach food. Last year, the U.K. suspended exports of some weapons to Israel over concerns they could be used to break international law, but it was a move with limited military impact. The decision related to about 30 of 350 existing export licenses for equipment that could be used in Gaza, including parts for military planes, helicopters and drones. Outrage over Israel's actions in Gaza has grown in Europe as images of suffering Palestinians have driven protests in London, Berlin, Brussels and other capitals. More recently, almost-daily killings of Palestinians while seeking aid have tested the EU's friendly relationship with Israel like never before. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Israeli decision, taken after a late-night meeting of top officials, came despite mounting international calls to end the war and protests by many in Israel who fear for the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are bracing to once again be forced from their homes, while families of the hostages fear their loved ones won't return. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals but 50 remain inside Gaza. Israel believes around 20 of them to be alive. The timing of another major Israeli ground operation remains unclear since it will likely hinge on mobilizing thousands of troops and forcibly evacuating civilians, almost certainly exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe. — Sam McNeil reported from Brussels. Toronto Blue Jays Editorials Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Celebrity
