Grave concerns about Biya’s future

Cameroon’s Paul Biya (91) is the oldest President in the world, but he has given no indication that he will step aside any time soon. Perhaps because of his perceived frailties, the criticism is louder than ever before. The Mail & Guardian reports that it comes from disaffected youth, as well as established opposition and civil society groups. There are also rumbles of discontent from within the ruling elite – all jostling for position in an increasingly bitter succession battle. They know Biya’s hold on power can survive anything except his own death. And Biya’s administration is responding with a familiar tactic: brutally cracking down on dissenting voices. The highest-profile recent example is that of 23-year-old Junior Ngombe. He is a barber by day and a digital activist by night, campaigning for democratic change and urging his 35 000 followers on TikTok to register to vote. Ngombe was outraged last month when another outspoken activist, Steve Akam, was arrested in neighbouring Gabon. This was a clear violation of extradition procedures, say human rights groups. Akam promptly disappeared and has not been seen since. Ngombe took to social media to denounce Akam’s arrest: ‘To hunt those who denounce or criticise your system of governance, and those who have opposing views, you put all your ingenuity at work to lay hands on them. Why not use this energy positively?’

Dozens of opposition leaders, journalists, political activists, human rights defenders and other government critics have been jailed or forced into exile in recent months, according to Ngo Mbe Maximilienne, the executive director of the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network. ‘The political and human rights situation is very preoccupying,’ Maximilienne said. The M&G notes that Human Rights Watch offered a similar assessment. ‘The Cameroonian government has for years cracked down on opposition and free speech, jailing political activists, journalists, and dissidents. Ahead of elections in 2025, it has increasingly restricted freedoms of expression and association,’ it said in a statement. The Cameroonian government has itself warned that criticism of Biya and institutions of state will not be tolerated. ‘It is unacceptable for compatriots, be they political party leaders or opinion leaders, to use irreverent, insulting or even offensive language with regards to the person who is legitimately and happily presiding over the destiny of Cameroon,’ government spokesperson René Emmanuel Sadi said last month.