Keypoints:
- Biya re-elected for an eighth term
- Deadly protests follow disputed results
- AU and EU condemn government crackdown
CAMEROON’S long-serving president, Paul Biya, has been sworn in for an eighth term following a disputed election that triggered deadly unrest and raised questions about the country’s political direction.
The 92-year-old leader, who has ruled the Central African nation for 43 years, took the oath of office on Thursday before parliament in Yaounde. The ceremony was attended by local officials but no foreign leaders, reflecting growing unease among international partners.
‘I will spare no effort to continue to be worthy of this trust,’ Biya declared. ‘I fully understand the gravity of the situation our country is going through and the scale of expectations among our people.’
Disputed election results
Official figures from the October 12 vote gave Biya 53.7 percent of ballots, defeating his main challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who secured 35.2 percent. Tchiroma, a former minister and one-time Biya ally turned opposition leader, has rejected the results, claiming victory and calling for civil resistance.
The election was closer than many analysts predicted, exposing growing discontent among younger Cameroonians frustrated by unemployment, corruption, and political stagnation.
Violence and opposition defiance
At least several people died after security forces dispersed opposition rallies in the days before and after Biya’s victory was confirmed on October 27. Witnesses reported heavy-handed tactics in several cities, while the government has yet to release an official death toll.
Tchiroma has urged supporters to stage ‘dead city’ protests by shutting down businesses and halting normal activity. The call has been widely observed in Garoua and Douala but largely ignored in Yaounde, where schools and offices remain open.
According to one of his aides quoted by AFP, Tchiroma—previously confined to his home in Garoua—was recently ‘on the move,’ signalling renewed resistance to Biya’s rule.
Government response and global criticism
Authorities have announced plans to prosecute Tchiroma, accusing him of ‘repeated calls for insurrection.’ The government has admitted that lives were lost in the unrest but has provided no figures.
International condemnation has followed swiftly. The European Union and African Union criticised the excessive use of force, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an independent inquiry into the killings and arbitrary arrests.
Four decades of rule
Paul Biya remains the world’s oldest sitting head of state and one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Since Cameroon’s independence from France in 1960, he has been only the second person to hold the presidency.
Biya’s enduring rule has survived coups, constitutional crises, and regional unrest, but the latest election suggests growing fatigue among voters and sharper divisions within the ruling elite.
As he begins another seven-year term, Cameroonians are watching closely to see whether the president can maintain stability—or whether his new mandate will deepen the fractures within the nation.
