Latest news with #CentralAfrica
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cameroon: Alleged resignation, Marc Brys speaks out in a video
Marc Brys Cameroon made headlines again this Wednesday, July 23. While FECAFOOT announced the resignation of head coach Marc Brys, the man himself sent a letter to deny the claim. The Belgian tactician has once again addressed the situation in a video statement. It was an unprecedented and completely surreal situation this Wednesday. Cameroon once again found itself at the center of controversy. FECAFOOT released a statement claiming that coach Marc Brys had decided to step down, even publishing the letter allegedly sent by the Belgian manager. Hours later, Marc Brys responded with a statement, firmly denying that he had resigned. The coach could only accuse FECAFOOT of fabricating the letter out of thin air. Locked in a dispute with the federation led by Samuel Eto'o since his appointment, Brys once again addressed the media in a video message. "I was surprised by what was published. I have not resigned. I don't see why I would do so. There is no need for it. I live in Greece, so I couldn't have signed that letter. Once again, I am still the coach of Cameroon. We're focused on the future and on the World Cup qualifiers. We want to prepare well and provide the best conditions for the players. We've qualified for AFCON, and we have a lot of work ahead. I hope the fans will support us for these two major events. Thank you for focusing on Cameroonian football. We will do our best," said the Belgian coach.
France 24
2 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Cameroon's Paul Biya: World's oldest president is the favourite as he seeks an eighth term
Cameroon's Paul Biya still has no intention of stepping down at the age of 92. In power for almost 43 years, he announced in mid-July that he would stand in the October 12 presidential elections, seeking an eighth seven-year term. In a statement posted on X, Biya suggested he was giving in to widespread calls for him to remain in power. 'I have therefore decided to heed the numerous and insistent calls from the ten regions of our country and the diaspora,' he said as he announced his candidacy. 'Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us,' he added. The announcement was remarkably similar to a previous one from 2018. 'Aware of the challenges we must take up together to ensure a more united, stable and prosperous Cameroon, I am willing to respond positively to your overwhelming calls,' said the Cameroonian president back on his seventh presidential candidacy. Biya does enjoy relative popularity, according to Roger Nicolas Oyono Mengue, a doctorate student at the Les Afriques dans le Monde (LAM) research centre at Sciences Po Bordeaux. 'Since 2020, there have been numerous motions of support from across the political spectrum calling on the president to run again. Paul Biya also declared in December 2024 that his determination to serve the people remains intact,' he said. 'Paul Biya tends to create suspense in the way he governs, only to ultimately reassert his legitimacy by presenting himself as the key piece of the puzzle.' But this latest announcement has sparked some criticism as Biya's public appearances have dwindled. He spends most of his time in his palace in his hometown Mvomeka'a, in the country's south, or on private trips to Geneva. His absence from the public sphere for more than six weeks last October reignited rumours about the state of his health. The man who has ruled unchallenged for more than four decades has also come under fire for embezzlement and corruption allegations, poor leadership and a failure to address Cameroon's security issues. As the leader of a nation where almost 40% of the population lives at or below the poverty rate, his taste for luxury and lavish holidays has also sparked criticism. Cracks in the ruling party Biya's camp has already seen several defections, including presidential bids announced by former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary and former prime minister Bello Bouba Maïgari – both long-time supporters of the president. To formalise his bid for candidacy, the incumbent bypassed the traditional preliminary consultations with the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) leadership, prompting unease within the ruling party. Municipal councillor Léon Theiller Onana has been an outspoken voice of this discontent within his party, filing a legal challenge to Biya's nomination and demanding a party congress. 'This creates a sense among the public that there is a kind of erosion of power linked to Paul Biya's age and his increasingly rare appearances in the public sphere,' Brice Molo, a sociologist and historian at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and the University of Yaoundé, told FRANCE 24's sister station Radio France Internationale. 'His absence is being offset by the prominence of Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, secretary-general to the president, who appears to be the main beneficiary of this new candidacy.' Ngoh Ngoh is set to be the key player in the forthcoming campaign. According to the magazine Jeune Afrique, he has taken the reins of an informal strategic committee charged with calling up the troops and setting the CPDM's electoral machinery in motion. A system that maintains 'national peace' Despite signs that the Biya regime is weakening, it still seems able to silence – or at least push aside – the critical voices to maintain what it calls the 'national peace', said Oyono Mengue. 'The system works by dividing up the 'national cake' – handing out government positions and resources – which helps it keep support across the country,' the expert explains. 'Ethnic factors may also play a role, though the regime calls it 'sociological logic'. Altogether, this creates a kind of consensus. Ordinary people may be struggling, but some still benefit from how the system is set up.' 'Paul Biya remains a unifying figure because his name is associated with the levers of power: the public administration has so far remained fairly loyal, as has the army. He still can reward and punish,' Molo observed. Cameroon is one of the world's leading cocoa exporters and has vast natural resources including oil, gas and valuable hardwoods. According to the World Bank, the African country's GDP grew by 3.5% in 2024, up from 3.2% in 2023, thanks to rising cocoa prices, higher cotton yields and improvements in electricity supply. But despite its natural resources, Cameroon continues to face deep inequalities, and weak infrastructure remains a recurring challenge. Inflation also continues to impact purchasing power, with an official rate of 5% in 2024. The almost 40% of Cameroonians who live below the poverty line increasingly voice their frustration over precarious living conditions and the lack of basic services such as access to clean water and quality healthcare. While the opposition may hope to tap into this social discontent and the desire for change among sections of the youth, who are particularly hard-hit by unemployment, political rivalries make the prospect of uniting behind a challenger unlikely. According to Elecam, the body overseeing electoral processes, nearly 30 presidential applications have already been submitted. With just a few months to go before the vote, negotiations are in full swing between several opposition figures and parties, but no clear consensus has emerged yet. Among the contenders are Cabral Libii, a prominent opposition figure and MP, and law professor Maurice Kamto, a fierce critic of the regime who came second in the 2018 presidential election and is widely seen as one of the few candidates capable of challenging Biya. Kamto, who was a former candidate from the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), is running this time under the banner of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem). The move is aimed at bypassing an electoral law that requires parties to hold seats in parliament or local councils to take part in the presidential race; the MRC boycotted the last legislative and municipal elections in 2020. Several government officials have already challenged this move, saying it breaks the rules, and have asked for Kamto's candidacy to be rejected. A decision is expected in early August with the publication of the final list of candidates.
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Central African Pipeline System Gains Traction as Committee President Returns to African Energy Week (AEW) 2025
In line with the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference's vision to make African energy poverty history by 2030, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, President of the Strategic Partnership and Fund Committee for the Central African Pipeline System (CAPS), is returning to this year's edition as a speaker. Lima's participation comes as the development of CAPS - an integrated network of downstream and midstream oil and gas infrastructure - is advancing with an aim to enhance energy access, reduce fuel imports and spur industrial growth in Central Africa. In July 2025, a significant milestone was achieved when the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, the African Petroleum Producers' Organization (APPO) and the Central Africa Business&Energy Forum signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to kick-start a feasibility study for CAPS. The MoU sets the foundation for participation from up to 11 Central African countries in evaluating the project's viability, regional impact and national contributions. The 6,500km pipeline network will enhance Central Africa's energy market resilience and affordability by optimizing the exploitation, local beneficiation and distribution of Africa's estimated 125.3 billion barrels of crude oil and 620 trillion cubic feet of gas resources. With APPO finalizing the launch of the multi-billion African Energy Bank with the African Export-Import Bank this year, the organization's participation in the MoU and interest in CAPS is timely. The MoU not only strengthens regional collaboration but also strategically positions CAPS to be shortlisted for financing from the new bank. Furthermore, with 18 oil-producing APPO member states focused on accelerating the exploitation of hydrocarbon resources, the organization's involvement in CAPS represents a powerful step toward eradicating energy poverty and enhancing regional energy security. The CAPS project will encompass oil, gas and LPG pipelines, pumping stations, storage terminals, refineries and gas-fired power plants, all contributing to regional energy access and industrial transformation. AEW: Invest in African Energies serves as the continent's premier platform for connecting high-impact African projects such as CAPS with global investors. Under the theme, Invest in African Energy: Positioning Africa as the Global Energy Champion, the event provides a strategic venue for Lima to present updates on CAPS milestones, development timelines and its alignment with Africa's broader industrialization agenda. With the pipeline set to span various countries such as Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda and São Tomé⪻íncipe, AEW: Invest in African Energies enables Lima to engage directly with policymakers and stakeholders vital to advancing the initiative. 'As Africa advances its 'drill baby drill' agenda, building robust downstream and midstream infrastructure for local energy beneficiation and distribution is critical,' stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. 'The CAPS project, under Lima's leadership, is a testament to Africa's breakthrough in closing infrastructure gaps. Projects like CAPS are essential to lifting 600 million people out of energy poverty and providing access to clean cooking for over 900 million.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber. About African Energy Week: AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit for more information about this exciting event.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Health
- Zawya
New Roadmap to Strengthen Health Security in Central Africa
Africa CDC and strategic health partners operating in Central Africa have drawn up an outline of a joint 2026–2027 roadmap to strengthen health security in the Central African region. Central Africa, like the rest of the continent, is deeply affected by recurrent or prolonged health crises, with the emergence and re-emergence of infectious threats. These threats challenge the resilience of healthcare systems and underline the need for an integrated, multi-sectoral and proactive approach. These public health emergencies are a powerful reminder that no country can effectively and sustainably deal with cross-border health threats on its own. 'This joint planning process is much more than a technical exercise. It is a key moment to strengthen our regional public health architecture, foster the interoperability of our alert systems, promote data sharing and expertise, and facilitate more effective mobilisation of available resources,' said Dr Brice Wilfried Bicaba, Director of Africa CDC's Regional Coordinating Centre for Central Africa (CA RCC). Africa CDC, through its CA RCC, brought together technical and institutional representatives from regional bodies including the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Organisation for Coordination in the Fight Against Endemic Diseases in Central Africa (OCEAC) of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), from 16 to 18 June 2025 in Equatorial Guinea. The inaugural strategic joint planning workshop was aimed at strengthening collaboration and coordination between Africa CDC, Regional Economic Communities and health institutions to improve prevention, preparedness and response to health emergencies in Central Africa. Africa CDC and its partners also came up with a consolidated 2025 plan. 'The 2025 joint action plan will serve as an operational guide for the coming months, focusing on concrete actions to strengthen regional coordination and governance, reinforce integrated health systems and the control of high-burden diseases, enhance surveillance, data collection and early warning, as well as build national capacity in terms of networks and laboratory systems,' added Dr Bicaba. The joint roadmap 2026–2027 lays the foundations for a structured response that is more effective, efficient, sustainable and aligned with continental and regional frameworks such as the New Public Health Order for Africa, the Africa CDC Strategic Plan 2023–2027, the Regional Strategic Plans for Preparedness and Response to Public Health Emergencies, cross-border surveillance of diseases with epidemic potential under the 'One Health' approach, and the ECCAS 'One Health' Platform for the period 2025–2029, as well as the 2023–2027 Five-Year Strategic Plan of the OCEAC. 'This roadmap reflects our collective commitment to building a community that is better prepared, more resilient and more responsive to health threats. Coordination with Africa CDC and other regional health organisations is essential if we are to achieve genuine health security in Central Africa,' said Dr Peggy Raymonde Conjugo-Batoma, Head of the Health Department of the Commission of ECCAS. The various stakeholders have also defined a coordination and monitoring framework for the joint implementation of health initiatives in the Central African region over the period 2025–2027. The main aim of this framework is to establish an effective coordination and accountability mechanism for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of joint regional health security activities in Central Africa, while ensuring optimum synergy between the key players. 'I welcome this initiative, which strengthens regional solidarity around our shared priorities,' said Mr Mitoha Ondo'o Ayekaba, Equatorial Guinea's Minister of Health. 'The results of your work reflect not only the richness of your contributions but also the collective commitment and strong desire to face cross-border health threats together. They are also an illustration of strengthened regional cooperation between national institutions, regional economic communities and technical partners in the interests of our populations,' said Mr Ayekaba, who is also a member of the steering committee of the Central African RCC. 'I am personally committed to overseeing the implementation of the joint roadmap and to advocating vigorously with my colleagues to secure the necessary political support,' he said. This inaugural workshop has been hailed by the Minister of Health and Africa CDC's partners as a model of multi-sector collaboration, mobilising the technical expertise, political priorities and resources of the various stakeholders around a common vision. 'It marks an important step in Africa CDC's ambition to build a more robust, integrated and inclusive continental public health system that is better prepared to deal with future health emergencies,' said Dr Bicaba. The representatives present in Malabo also recommended co-developing collaboration protocols between the various institutions, integrating Africa CDC's Regional Coordinating Centre for Central Africa as an observer or technical member at decision-making and technical meetings of the RECs relating to public health, health emergency management and health security, and strengthening the capacities of Member States in health planning and coordination. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Paul Biya's presidential candidacy a crisis of democracy in Cameroon
Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, has been in power for four decades. Photo: Marco Longari/AFP On 14 July 2025, Paul Biya, Cameroon's 91-year-old president, Failure to confront this moment will also teach Africa's youth that formal politics offers neither accountability nor meaningful change. Cameroon has not experienced a peaceful transfer of power since independence. Power remains concentrated in the presidency, while opposition parties are The judiciary is subordinate to the executive and electoral bodies lack credibility. The system has grown accustomed to continuity rather than contestation and, over time, democracy has been reduced to a set of controlled rituals rather than a functioning political culture. Biya's extended rule is not just a national problem. It reflects a regional weakness. Over the years, organisations such as the African Union and Central African regional bodies have failed to take meaningful action on cases of long-term incumbency, especially where elections proceed without outright violence. The quiet tolerance of indefinite leadership has allowed authoritarianism to be dressed in the language of legality. The AU's Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance calls for term limits, transparent elections, and citizen participation, but its enforcement has been weak and inconsistent. This failure Within Cameroon, the consequences of this political stagnation are clear. The conflict in the Anglophone regions remains unresolved, with thousands displaced and ongoing reports of violence. State responses have relied on force and token gestures of engagement. A lasting solution requires a shift towards genuine political dialogue that includes local voices and acknowledges the historical and structural roots of the crisis. Without that, the cycle of Decentralisation, long promised but never fully delivered, must also be addressed. The country remains one of the most centralised in Africa, with local governments underfunded and politically weak. Meaningful decentralisation would empower communities and signal a commitment to democratic reform. It would reverse the long-standing exclusion of peripheral regions from national decision-making. Electoral reform is another urgent priority. Public confidence in the electoral process is low, with allegations of fraud, media bias and voter intimidation common in each election cycle. If elections are to serve as more than a legitimising tool for incumbents, they must be grounded in fairness, transparency and institutional independence. This will require a review of the legal framework, the composition of the electoral commission and equal access to campaign platforms. Biya's continued presence in power highlights a broader generational crisis in African politics. Leadership is dominated by ageing elites, while the continent's youthful majority is sidelined. In Cameroon, many young people have only ever known one president. Their exclusion from governance is not just symbolic; it has practical consequences for political legitimacy, innovation and long-term development. When young citizens do not see themselves reflected in leadership, they disengage, emigrate or, in some cases, mobilise through informal or radical means. Any vision for democratic renewal must include the deliberate inclusion of youth in decision-making spaces, not as tokens, but as central actors in shaping the country's future. None of these reforms can succeed in isolation from economic renewal. Cameroon's youth, who make up 60% of the population, face high Cameroon's crisis cannot be addressed through surface reforms or another tightly controlled election. If there is to be a turning point, regional actors must take responsibility. The AU and other African leaders should not view Biya's decision as an isolated national matter, but as part of a broader pattern that threatens the continent's commitment to inclusive political governance. Silence in the face of democratic decline is not neutral. It is a form of complicity. African institutions must be prepared to act when those in power no longer serve the people or uphold democratic norms. Biya's candidacy is not simply a continuation of the past. It is a warning about the future. Helen C Folefac and Tinashe Sithole are post doctoral research fellows at the SARChI Chair African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy at the University of Johannesburg.
