World's oldest president eyes eighth term - at the age of 92
Currently 92 years-old, another seven-year term could see him remain in power until he is nearly 100.
So far his tenure presents a mixed picture, marked by both support and criticism.
President Paul Biya first took power in 1982 and has not lost an election in the central African nation since.
Under his governance, Cameroon survived an economic crisis and moved away from one-party rule.
Biya also claimed on X that his latest decision to run followed "numerous and insistent" calls across 10 Cameroonian regions and the diaspora.
But during decades in power, his administration has faced backlash over embezzlement, corruption, bad governance and insecurity.
In 2008, democratic backsliding led to the abolition of term limits - allowing his continuous re-election.
Concerns have also been raised about his health and ability to govern.
During a six-week mysterious absence from public eye last year, authorities banned the media from discussing the president's health.
As rumours of ill-health quickly spread, interior minister Paul Atanga Nji said such stories 'disturb the tranquillity of Cameroonians'. The president's health was deemed a matter of national security and 'offenders' were threatened with legal action.
Notorious for long periods of time spent abroad, Biya in 2018 held a cabinet meeting for the first time in more than two years.
An investigation supported by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) found that Biya spent a third of the year abroad in some years, such as 2006 and 2009.
Along the way he missed key events, included a 2016 train accident which killed 75 people and the violent repression of protests over the marginalisation of Anglophone minorities.
The protests set off what later became a separatist insurgency in English speaking provinces, who have historically complained of discrimination in Francophone-dominated public institutions.
This year's election also comes as Cameroonians face climbing living costs and high unemployment.
Confirmation of Biya's candidacy in a post on X on Sunday followed a rift with long-term allies in northern regions, who had previously been key in securing northern votes.
Prominent minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary and former prime minister Bello Bouba Maigari left the governing coalition and announced their candidacy separately.
'A country cannot exist in the service of one man,' Tchiroma said.
If elected, Tchiroma has offered a referendum to devolve power as a solution to the so-called Anglophone crisis.
Elsewhere Biya's supporters and members of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement have publicly backed his candidacy since last year.
Human rights groups have criticised the perceived crackdown on dissent. Parliamentary elections that were due to take place in 2024 were also delayed until 2026.
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BBC News
39 minutes ago
- BBC News
Togo protests: Faure Gnassingbé's dynastic power play sparks youth anger
A new constitution that has allowed Togo's long-time head of state Faure Gnassingbé to shift to a new role as all-powerful prime minister – and escape the constraint of presidential term limits – has triggered anger on the streets of the capital, Lomé. Protests are set to continue this least five demonstrators have died while confronting official security forces in recent it is not the orthodox political opposition – predictably crushed in local elections last week – that has mobilised frustrated young Togolese it is musicians, bloggers and activists who have tapped into popular anger and weariness with a regime that has been in power – under the leadership of Faure Gnassingbé or, before him – his father Gnassingbé Éyadéma, for almost six outstrips even Cameroon's 92-year old President Paul Biya - who has just confirmed his intention to stand for an eighth successive term in elections later this year – or Gabon's father-and-son presidents, Omar Bongo and Ali Bongo, latter of whom was deposed in a coup in August 2023. The lessons of that episode did not escape Faure Gnassingbé, a shrewd and often discreet operator who quickly moved to devise a new constitutional structure for Togo, to prolong his own hold on power while playing down his personal profile, in a bid to defuse accusations of dynastic will no longer need to stand for re-election in his own 59-year-old holds the premiership because his Union pour la République (Unir) party dominates the national assembly - and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, thanks to a constituency map gerrymandered to over-represent its northern heartlands and understate the voting weight of the pro-opposition coastal Bawara, Togo's civil service and labour minister, maintains the 2024 election was above board, with "all the major political actors and parties" taking part."The government cannot be held responsible for the weakness of the opposition," Bawara told BBC Focus on Africa TV last added that those with a genuine reason to demonstrate could do so within the law, blaming activists abroad for inciting "young people to attack security forces" in an attempt to destabilise the new constitutional framework was announced at short notice in early 2024 and quickly approved by the compliant government-dominated national assembly. There was no attempt to secure general public approval through a referendum.A one-year transition concluded this May as Gnassingbé – who had been head of state since 2005 – gave up the presidency and was installed in the premiership, a post now strengthened to hold all executive power and total authority over the armed occupy the presidency, a role now reduced to a purely ceremonial function, legislators chose the 86-year old former business minister, Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové. This reshuffling of the power structure was presented abroad by regime mouthpieces as moving from a strong presidential system to a supposedly more democratic "parliamentary" model – in tune with the traditions of the Commonwealth, which Togo, like Gabon, had joined in 2022, to broaden its international connections and reduce reliance on traditional francophone links with France, the former colonial transition to new constitutional arrangements designed to perpetuate Gnassingbé's rule passed off almost without outside comment from international partners whose attention is currently focussed on Gaza and Ukraine rather than was there any complaint from fellow leaders in the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), even after Togo held fresh legislative elections just weeks after the new constitution had been promulgated, in flagrant breach of the regional bloc's protocol on good governance and democracy, which says that after a change of constitution at least six months must elapse before any major election is shaken by the decision of three military-run countries - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - to quit Ecowas, remaining member governments are reluctant to challenge the behaviour of others in case they follow on the streets of Lomé it has been a different rapper and regime critic Essowe Tchalla, known by his stage name "Aamron", released a satirical video calling for the "celebration" of Gnassingbé's 6 June he was arbitrarily snatched from his home at the end of May by regime security agents and taken to an unknown location, anger surged among young urban Togolese. Hundreds protested on the streets of the capital on 5 and 6 June and scores were detained by government affair took a particularly sinister twist with the discovery that Aamron had been confined to a mental hospital, a measure more reminiscent of the 1970s Soviet Union than West Africa in 2025 – and the subsequent release of a hostage video –style statement in which he was filmed admitting to psychological problems and apologising to Faure Gnassingbé, remarks he has completely disowned after being released without late June brought a further wave of street protests, with the security forces confronting youths who had set up burning rights groups reported widespread random detentions, often of uninvolved passers by, while informal pro-government militia, often armed, roamed the streets in pick-up least five people were killed and two bodies were found in the lagoons north of central Lomé, though whether they had drowned while fleeing arrest or been deliberately killed was it is cultural figures like Aamron – and Honoré Sitsopé Sokpor, a poet known by his alias "Affectio" and jailed in January – who have inspired this latest upsurge in protests. They connect to young popular opinion in a way that conventional politicians much of the Togolese public appears to have lost faith in the formal political the local elections on 17 July passed off quietly, with Unir predictably dominant according to official results, Jean-Pierre Fabre, a leading opposition figure, said there were no other voters in his local polling station when he went to cast his see the new constitution as no more than a device to perpetuate the rule of the Gnassingbé dynasty – a regime variously described by West African regional media as a "republican monarchy" and "legalist authoritarianism". A leading Togolese human rights activist says popular frustration has reached unprecedented have been previous upsurges of mass 2017 the churches supported marches demanding reform while a charismatic new opposition figure, Tikpi Atchadam, mobilised young people across the previously regime-dominated the 2020 presidential election, the regime was taken aback by the strong performance of opposition challenger Agbeyomé Kodjo, who was openly backed by the much respected 89-year old former Archbishop of Lomé, Philippe Kpodzro. Although both men have since died, the political movement inspired by the late cleric remains highly active and is regularly targeted by the once again, we are seeing frustration boil over, particularly among young urban his constitutional revamp to a supposedly "parliamentary" system, Gnassingbé aims to retain full control, yet step his own personality back from the political firing that particular manoeuvre looks condemned to failure in the face of challenge from creative leaders of popular culture – bloggers, singers and grassroots social media the hashtag #FaureMustGo is now circulating. And recent weeks have seen the launch of a new campaign for change, known as M66, which stands for "6 June Movement" from the date of Gnassingbé's Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London. You may also be interested in: Three military-run states leave West African bloc - what will change?Social media revamp by 92-year-old president struggles to woo young CamerooniansHow Trump's Africa strategy may become a double-edged swordWhy Gabon's coup leader is bucking a trend by embracing democracy Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tulsi Gabbard details damning allegations against Hillary Clinton
Tulsi Gabbard unleashed a barrage of shocking charges against Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, claiming that she was on 'heavy tranquilizers' and was dealing with 'psycho emotional problems' during the 2016 election. Gabbard, who is President Donald Trump's director of National Intelligence, said Russia President Vladimir Putin had that information and planned to use it against Clinton when she was serving as president. The information was in the September 2020 report by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Russia's attempts to influence the election that Gabbard declassified on Wednesday. 'This report shows Putin held back from leaking compromising material on Hillary Clinton prior to the election, instead planning to release it after the election,' Gabbard said. The declassified report also claims that Clinton suffered from severe health ailments like type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease. It also claimed that Clinton - who then was serving as Obama's secretary of state -had her government aides hold secret meetings with religious leaders where they were offered 'significant increases in funding' from the State Department in return for their political support in the election. 'The intelligence community intentionally suppressed intelligence that showed Putin was saving the most damaging material that he had in his possession about Hillary Clinton until after her potential and likely victory,' Gabbard said. 'There were high-level DNC emails that detailed evidence of Hillary's, quote, psycho emotional problems, uncontrolled fits of anger, aggression and cheerfulness, and that then Secretary Clinton was allegedly on a daily regimen of heavy tranquilizers,' she added. Clinton did have a public health scare during the 2016 contest. She swooned and stumbled at a Sept. 11 commemoration in New York in an incident captured on cell phone video. It showed Clinton wobbling and being lifted into the vehicle by her aides after leaving a memorial service at the site of the 2001 World Trade Center attack. The Clinton campaign later said she was diagnosed with pneumonia. And her doctor, a few days later, declared Clinton 'healthy and fit to serve' as president. She had other health scares. In January 2011, when on an official trip to Yemen, Clinton tripped and fell on the plane stairs as she was departing the country. The declassified House report made a slew of charges about Clinton, including: As of September 2016, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) had Democratic National Committee (DNC) information that President Obama and party leaders found the state of Secretary Clinton's health to be 'extraordinarily alarming' and felt it could have 'serious negative impact' on her election prospects. Her health information was being kept in 'strictest secrecy' and even close advisors were not being fully informed. The SVR possessed DNC communications that Clinton was suffering from 'intensified psychoemotional problems, including uncontrolled fits of anger, aggression. and cheerfulness.' Clinton was placed on a daily regimen of 'heavy tranquilizers' and while afraid of losing, she remained 'obsessed with a thirst for power.' The SVR also had information that Clinton suffered from 'Type 2 diabetes, Ischemic heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.' The SVR possessed a campaign email discussing a plan approved by Secretary Clinton to link Putin and Russian hackers to candidate Trump in order to 'distract the [American] public' from the Clinton email server scandal. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in August had details of secret meetings with multiple named US religious organizations, in which US State Department representatives offered-in exchange for supporting Secretary Clinton- 'significant increases in financing' from Department funds and 'the patronage' of State in dealing with 'post-Soviet' countries. Clinton has not publicly responded to the charges. And Gabbard charged former President Barack Obama with driving a 'false' narrative that Russia wanted Trump to win the election. Obama has denied this. 'The evidence that we have found and that we have released directly points to President Obama leading the manufacturing of this intelligence assessment. There are multiple pieces of evidence and intelligence that confirm that fact,' Gabbard said. She declined, when asked, to say if Obama was guilty of treason, noting she would leave decisions on criminal charges to the Department of Justice. Gabbard has been releasing a slew of reports that claim former President Barack Obama and his administration were part of a 'treasonous conspiracy' to allege Russia interfered in the 2016 election on Trump's behalf. She claims Obama was behind a smear campaign to sew doubt about Trump's 2016 victory. 'President Obama directed an intelligence community assessment to be created to further this contrived false narrative that ultimately led to a years long coup to try to undermine President Trump's presidency,' Gabbard said. Gabbard specifically charged Obama's CIA director John Brennan as the leading figure behind the 'conspiracy' to undermine Trump's first term. She repeatedly claimed Russia was preparing for a Clinton victory in 2016 and were preparing to release it after she won. 'They specifically withheld what they had on her, the most damning information, because they thought she would win he election. They had plans to release it, just prior to her inauguration ... to discord and chaos in America,' she said. President Trump has seized on the new information and accused his Democratic rivals of organizing a failed 'coup' in 2016. 'They tried to rig the election and they got caught and there should be really severe consequences,' he said on Tuesday. Trump has long argued that the FBI counterintelligence probe that began during the 2016 election was the start of a 'coup' to prevent him from taking office. He also issued an extraordinary call to investigate the former president – accusing his predecessor of 'treason.' 'After what they did to me, whether it's right or wrong, it's time to go after people,' Trump said in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Obama fired back at the 'bizarre allegations' coming from Trump. His office dismissed the claims as another example of the constant 'nonsense and misinformation' that emanates out of the White House. 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,' his post-presidency office said in a statement.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Greens issue new Holyrood candidate list after 'software error'
The Scottish Greens have had to issue a revised set of candidate lists for next year's Holyrood election after an error was discovered in how selection votes were counted. The results, originally announced on Monday, sparked a row with members which saw the party's internal election officer resign. The new lists have the same candidates in the top positions, with most of the party's MSPs securing key places which give them an easier path to re-election. However there are changes further down the Edinburgh and Lothian East and South Scotland lists, with some members being moved up and down the rankings. Under the electoral system for Holyrood, the regional list vote involves parties ranking their higher an individual appears on the list, the better their chance is of becoming an had been raised by party members regarding a number of the internal include that of the Scottish Greens' current co-leader Patrick Harvie, and North East MSP Maggie Chapman who failed to secure top spot in her party has now blamed a "software error" at the external company used to process the has apologised for the "inconvenience and concern" caused by the third-party software it used to count votes. A Scottish Greens spokesperson party officials were assured on Monday afternoon that the counting "had been completed and confirmed to meet the standards requested under our internal party rules".But following further investigation the software error was detected in an external programme used to count votes. The party said was first made aware of this on Tuesday spokesperson added: "Party officials were not aware of this error at the time of previous statements, and had been reassured by the third-party provider on Monday afternoon that all counting had been completed and verified."Following a full revised count with oversight and verification from current party officials and those involved in previous Holyrood selections, we can confirm our full list of candidates for the Holyrood 2026 campaign. "All of the previously announced 15 lead candidates remain duly selected and will continue to lead the party's campaign to elect a record number of MSPs."The party acknowledged it had been a "stressful process" for candidates and members and thanked them for their "vigilance, patience and trust". Mi-Voice 'sincerely apologise' for anomalies Simon Thomson, director of Mi-Voice, said a review triggered by concerned party officials identified a "technical fault" with the vote counting Thomson said the party was notified at 10:00 on Tuesday and the issue was reported to the software also confirmed the updated candidate lists then underwent "additional manual validation" to ensure they represented "the final and accurate outcome". Mr Thomson said: "We acknowledge the concern this has raised for party members and candidates. "We understand the frustration and confusion, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and concern it has caused." On Tuesday, Kate Joester, who was the party's internal elections officer, said she had not spotted the issue when the figures were first sent to initially endorsed a statement from the party reassuring campaigners that there were "no realistic doubts" about the after quitting her post Joester said she should not have given her backing amid concerns about how some votes were cast.
