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Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Cameroon's Biya, 92, brushes off health fears in bid for new term
YAOUNDE, July 14 (Reuters) - In June 2004, on returning from yet another extended stay abroad, Cameroon President Paul Biya came down from his plane and poked fun at rumours he was dead. "People are interested in my funeral," he told reporters. "I'll see them in 20 years." That was 21 years ago, and the world's oldest serving head of state still has no plans to go anywhere. On Sunday he announced on X he would run in Cameroon's presidential election scheduled for October 12, seeking an eighth term that could keep him in office until he is nearly 100. Biya has held a tight grip on power since taking over as president in 1982 from his one-time mentor Ahmadou Ahidjo, whom he later sidelined and forced into exile. Now, an unprecedented public outcry in the press and on social media since his announcement suggests cracks in that power base, and doubts in his ability to keep going, may be growing. "Nous sommes foutus" ("We are screwed!") was the front-page headline in Monday's edition of Le Messager newspaper next to a picture of Biya. The cocoa- and oil-producing Central African nation faces a host of economic and security challenges, notably a conflict with Anglophone separatists and threats from Nigeria-based Islamist fighters in the north. Meanwhile Biya, 92, remains largely out of public view, spurring widespread speculation over who is really in charge. "Most of us don't believe Biya is actually running the country anymore. His decision to run again, if it's really his, shows just how out of touch the system is," tech entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong told Reuters. Communications Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. He has previously said Biya is in good health and that speculation to the contrary was "pure fantasy and imagination" by critics aiming to destabilise the country. Last year, the government banned public discussion of Biya's health - though that order has been largely ignored by Cameroon's vociferous press. Cameroon has had just two presidents since independence from France and Britain in the early 1960s and is likely to face a messy succession crisis if Biya becomes too ill to remain in office or dies. In 2008, Biya signed a constitutional amendment removing a two-term limit for the presidency. That paved the way for landslide wins in 2011 and 2018, according to official figures, though his opponents complained of irregularities including ballot stuffing and intimidation, which the government denied. Not much has changed since the last vote, both on the security front and for Cameroonians grappling daily with poor access to basic amenities from roads and water to electricity and waste management. "These issues are not new. They have simply intensified because the situation keeps worsening," said Pippie Hugues Marcelline, research policy analyst at the Yaounde-based Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank. What is different this year, Marcelline said, is "the level of engagement and awareness" about Biya's performance. "A president needs to be seen in charge and in control. The absence of the president from the public is enough evidence that age is not on his side." Prominent human rights lawyer Alice Nkom published a video last week on YouTube appealing to Biya to step aside. "The legs are no longer holding up, the brain is no longer working. I'm telling you this because I'm in this situation, because I'm in my 80s," she said. "I know what has changed in me and what I can no longer give to Cameroonians." Perhaps more worrying for Biya, two former allies have recently quit the ruling coalition and announced plans to run in the election separately. Enonchong, the tech entrepreneur, told Reuters she did not think Cameroonians would accept another Biya term. But analyst Raoul Sumo Tayo said that, despite the many obstacles, Biya should not be counted out. "The ruling party can successfully rally the administrative elite and utilise outdated electoral practices," he said, referring to what he described as fraudulent tactics. "It might just secure an eighth term for Paul Biya."
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Cameroon's Biya, 92, brushes off health fears in bid for new term
Paul Biya has held a tight grip on power since taking over as Cameroon's president in 1982. (AP pic) YAOUNDE : In June 2004, on returning from yet another extended stay abroad, Cameroon President Paul Biya came down from his plane and poked fun at rumours he was dead. 'People are interested in my funeral,' he told reporters. 'I'll see them in 20 years.' That was 21 years ago, and the world's oldest serving head of state still has no plans to go anywhere. Yesterday he announced on X he would run in Cameroon's presidential election scheduled for Oct 12, seeking an eighth term that could keep him in office until he is nearly 100. Biya has held a tight grip on power since taking over as president in 1982 from his one-time mentor Ahmadou Ahidjo, whom he later sidelined and forced into exile. Now, an unprecedented public outcry in the press and on social media since his announcement suggests cracks in that power base, and doubts in his ability to keep going, may be growing. 'Nous sommes foutus' ('We are screwed!') was the front-page headline in today's edition of Le Messager newspaper next to a picture of Biya. The cocoa and oil-producing Central African nation faces a host of economic and security challenges, notably a conflict with Anglophone separatists and threats from Nigeria-based Islamist fighters in the north. Meanwhile Biya, 92, remains largely out of public view, spurring widespread speculation over who is really in charge. 'Most of us don't believe Biya is actually running the country anymore. His decision to run again, if it's really his, shows just how out of touch the system is,' tech entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong told Reuters. Communications minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi did not immediately respond to a request for comment today. He has previously said Biya is in good health and that speculation to the contrary was 'pure fantasy and imagination' by critics aiming to destabilise the country. Last year, the government banned public discussion of Biya's health – though that order has been largely ignored by Cameroon's vociferous press. Calls to step aside Cameroon has had just two presidents since independence from France and Britain in the early 1960s and is likely to face a messy succession crisis if Biya becomes too ill to remain in office or dies. In 2008, Biya signed a constitutional amendment removing a two-term limit for the presidency. That paved the way for landslide wins in 2011 and 2018, according to official figures, though his opponents complained of irregularities including ballot stuffing and intimidation, which the government denied. Not much has changed since the last vote, both on the security front and for Cameroonians grappling daily with poor access to basic amenities from roads and water to electricity and waste management. 'These issues are not new. They have simply intensified because the situation keeps worsening,' said Pippie Hugues Marcelline, research policy analyst at the Yaounde-based Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank. What is different this year, Marcelline said, is 'the level of engagement and awareness' about Biya's performance. 'A president needs to be seen in charge and in control. The absence of the president from the public is enough evidence that age is not on his side.' Prominent human rights lawyer Alice Nkom published a video last week on YouTube appealing to Biya to step aside. 'The legs are no longer holding up, the brain is no longer working. I'm telling you this because I'm in this situation, because I'm in my 80s,' she said. 'I know what has changed in me and what I can no longer give to Cameroonians.' Perhaps more worrying for Biya, two former allies have recently quit the ruling coalition and announced plans to run in the election separately. Enonchong, the tech entrepreneur, told Reuters she did not think Cameroonians would accept another Biya term. But analyst Raoul Sumo Tayo said that, despite the many obstacles, Biya should not be counted out. 'The ruling party can successfully rally the administrative elite and utilise outdated electoral practices,' he said, referring to what he described as fraudulent tactics. 'It might just secure an eighth term for Paul Biya.'
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Cameroon's 92-year-old president seeks eighth term in office
Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, who is 92 years old, has announced plans to run for an eighth term in this year's presidential election on October 12. Biya, who is the world's oldest serving head of state, made the announcement in posts on X on Sunday in both French and English. 'I am a candidate in the presidential election,' he wrote. 'Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face.' Biya, who is seeking a new term that could keep him in office until he is nearly 100, came to power more than four decades ago in 1982, when his predecessor, Ahmadou Ahidjo, resigned. His health is the subject of frequent speculation, most recently last year when he disappeared from public view for 42 days. His re-election bid had been widely anticipated but not formally confirmed until Sunday's social media post. Biya had been posting regularly on his verified X handle in the buildup to the announcement. In 2018, in a first, he also used social media to announce his candidacy for that year's presidential contest, marking a rare direct engagement with the public on digital platforms. Members of the governing Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) and other supporters have since last year publicly called for Biya to seek another term. But opposition parties and some civil society groups argue his long rule has stifled economic and democratic development. Two former allies have quit the governing coalition and announced plans to separately run in the election. '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 news agency. Sunday's announcement is sure to revive debate over Biya's fitness for office. He seldom makes public appearances, often delegating responsibilities to the powerful chief of staff of the president's office. Last October, he returned to Cameroon after a 42-day absence, which had sparked speculation he was unwell. The government claimed he was fine but banned any discussion of his health, saying it was a matter of national security. Biya scrapped term limits in 2008, clearing the way for him to run indefinitely. He won the 2018 election with 71.28 percent of the vote, though opposition parties alleged widespread irregularities. The cocoa- and oil-producing Central African nation, which has had just two presidents since independence from France and the United Kingdom in the early 1960s, is likely to face a messy succession crisis if Biya were to become too ill to remain in office or die. Besides Biya, several opposition figures have also declared their intention to run, including 2018 runner-up Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front, lawyer Akere Muna and Cabral Libii of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation. All have criticised Biya's long period as head of state and called for reforms to ensure a fair vote in 2025. Under Biya, Cameroon has faced economic challenges and insecurity on several fronts, including a drawn-out separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions and ongoing incursions from the Boko Haram armed group in the north.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Cameroon's Biya, 92, announces bid for eighth presidential term
YAOUNDE, July 13 (Reuters) - Cameroon's nonagenarian head of state, Paul Biya, will run for re-election in this year's presidential vote expected on October 12, a post on the president's X account said on Sunday. "I am a candidate in the presidential election of October 12, 2025. Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face," the post on the official account said. Biya, the world's oldest serving head of state, came to power more than four decades ago in 1982, when his predecessor Ahmadou Ahidjo resigned. His health is the subject of frequent speculation, most recently last year when he disappeared from public view for 42 days.
