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MTV Lebanon
16-07-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Cameroon's Biya, 92, reshuffles military top brass ahead of vote
Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, has overhauled the military's top ranks in what analysts say is an effort to ensure the armed forces back his bid for an eighth term after a public outcry. The personnel moves, announced late on Tuesday in a series of presidential decrees, affect nearly all branches of the armed forces. They include the appointment of new chiefs of staff for the infantry, air force and navy as well as the promotion of eight brigadier generals to the rank of major general. One of the promoted generals is the coordinator of the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), a special forces unit often deployed in counter-terrorism operations and seen as central to Biya's security apparatus. The decrees also named a new special presidential military adviser. The decrees were published two days after Biya, in power since 1982, announced he would run for his eighth term in office in Cameroon's presidential election scheduled for October 12. The seven-year term could keep him in office until he is nearly 100. The announcement prompted an unprecedented public outcry in the press and on social media in Cameroon, where Biya's age and long absences have raised questions about his fitness to rule. The government has said Biya is in good health and dismissed any suggestions otherwise. The decrees concerning the armed forces reflect "a strategy by President Biya and his collaborators to consolidate power by building a fortress of loyal army generals around him" that can suppress any protest to his continued rule, said Anthony Antem, peace and security analyst at the Nkafu Policy Institute in Yaounde. Celestin Delanga, researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said the decrees "come in a unique political and security context." Biya wants to ensure stability during and after the election and "additional trusted personnel are needed" for that, he said. The cocoa- and oil-producing Central African nation also faces a host of serious security challenges, notably a conflict with Anglophone separatists and threats from Nigeria-based Islamist fighters in the north. The government gave no explanation for the overhaul. The last significant military shake-up in Cameroon came just last year, shortly after Biya returned in October from his latest extended stay abroad which revived speculation about his health.
Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Cameroon's Biya, 92, reshuffles military top brass ahead of vote
YAOUNDE - Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, has overhauled the military's top ranks in what analysts say is an effort to ensure the armed forces back his bid for an eighth term after a public outcry. The personnel moves, announced late on Tuesday in a series of presidential decrees, affect nearly all branches of the armed forces. They include the appointment of new chiefs of staff for the infantry, air force and navy as well as the promotion of eight brigadier generals to the rank of major general. One of the promoted generals is the coordinator of the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), a special forces unit often deployed in counter-terrorism operations and seen as central to Biya's security apparatus. The decrees also named a new special presidential military adviser. The decrees were published two days after Biya, in power since 1982, announced he would run for his eighth term in office in Cameroon's presidential election scheduled for October 12. The seven-year term could keep him in office until he is nearly 100. The announcement prompted an unprecedented public outcry in the press and on social media in Cameroon, where Biya's age and long absences have raised questions about his fitness to rule. The government has said Biya is in good health and dismissed any suggestions otherwise. The decrees concerning the armed forces reflect "a strategy by President Biya and his collaborators to consolidate power by building a fortress of loyal army generals around him" that can suppress any protest to his continued rule, said Anthony Antem, peace and security analyst at the Nkafu Policy Institute in Yaounde. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets Singapore Countering misinformation requires both laws and access to trusted news sources: Josephine Teo Celestin Delanga, researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said the decrees "come in a unique political and security context." Biya wants to ensure stability during and after the election and "additional trusted personnel are needed" for that, he said. The cocoa- and oil-producing Central African nation also faces a host of serious security challenges, notably a conflict with Anglophone separatists and threats from Nigeria-based Islamist fighters in the north. The government gave no explanation for the overhaul. The last significant military shake-up in Cameroon came just last year, shortly after Biya returned in October from his latest extended stay abroad which revived speculation about his health. REUTERS
TimesLIVE
15-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Cameroon's Paul Biya, 92, brushes off health fears in bid for new term
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. 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 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."
New Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Cameroon's Biya, 92, brushes off health fears in bid for new term
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."
