Cameroon's 92-year-old President Biya seeks eighth term amid health rumors and political challenges
Paul Biya, Africa's second longest serving President after Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, is frequently sick and abroad. Last year, talk spread that he had died, prompting the government to publicly deny the rumors. Cameroon's second President since independence from France in 1960, Mr. Biya has been in power since 1982.
Promising that the best is yet to come in his post on social media, Mr. Biya reiterated his determination to rule, saying, 'Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us."
The more than 40 years of Mr. Biya's rule have left a lasting impact. His government has faced various challenges, including allegations of corruption and a secessionist movement in Cameroon's English-speaking provinces that has forced thousands out of school and triggered deadly clashes with security forces.
'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.
Cameroon has also had to deal with spillover violence by the Islamic extremist Boko Haram group, based in neighboring Nigeria.
Recently, several of Mr. Biya's longtime allies defected to announce their own candidacies for President.
He cruised to victory in 2018 with over 70% of the vote in an election marred by irregularities and low turnout due to ongoing separatist and jihadi violence.
In a region threatened with shrinking democratic space, several other African countries also have presidents accused of using state mechanisms to prolong their stay in power. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni recently sought nomination for a seventh term, a move that would bring him closer to five decades in power in the East African country.
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Time of India
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2 hours ago
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The Union minister of state for ports is a Matua and the Matua factor in Bengal elections is considerable. The issue of the arrest of the Matua family in BJP-ruled Maharashtra is sure to gain political colour. The TMC and BJP will lock horns on the issue to corner the Matua vote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bengal on July 18, two days after Mamata Banerjee marches on the street and three days before she launches her Bengali Asmita Brahmastra. Modi and the Bengal BJP will have to think on their feet to match Mamata Banerjee's penchant for turning challenges into opportunities.
