Monthly Archives: November 2025

Cameroon apparently under a de facto federalism

12, November 2025

Cameroon apparently under a de facto federalism 0

When the CPDM crime syndicate called for elections in 2025, it never knew there could be massive surprises hiding somewhere.

In the minds of members of the crime syndicate, their victory was a foregone conclusion. But nature has a way of throwing some under-the-belt blows to criminals who think they are masters of the world.

The 12 October presidential election was one moment nature and the people of Cameroon used to humiliate a government which has been around for 43 years with nothing to show for its long stay in power.

The trouble started when exit polls clearly indicated that the leading opposition figure, Issa Tchiroma, was leading in major cities across the country by a wide margin. The Biya regime could not believe its eyes. Cameroonians had sanctioned a regime which has elevated corruption and sex into a political system.

Despite efforts by the beleaguered government to silence the opposition, Cameroonians were already aware of the truth. The cat was out of the bag and the government had to deal with a bloodshot eye.

The election results clearly pointed to a different era in the country, triggering a wave of tension as Mr. Tchiroma insisted that he was the people’s choice.

The country was headed towards a fragmentation, contested legitimacy, rising tensions and regionalized instability. Indeed, the country was navigating into a massive legitimacy and governance crisis.

Cameroonians were impatient. They wanted the incumbent, Paul Biya, who has ruined everything in the country and has no remorse for his destruction of a country which was destined for greatness, to quit the presidency.

Before the corrupt and ineffective constitutional council could deliberate and publish the fake results, thousands of Cameroonians poured into the streets to defend their victory which was being stolen by a regime that is known for its brutality and incompetence.

When the constitutional council finally formalized its lies by declaring the ailing 96-year-old (he had reduced his age by 4 years) the victor, there were spontaneous demonstrations across the country, with young Cameroonians destroying anything in their path.

As the protests gathered momentum across the nation, the unpopular Yaoundé regime resorted to violence, the only game it understands, arresting thousands of young men and women whose dreams had been dashed to the rocks.

The opposition had to change its strategy, calling for its supporters to avoid the streets. It immediately instituted a 3-day civil disobedience and the winner of the elections, Issa Tchiroma, advised Cameroonians to stay at home to cripple an economy that was already on its knees.

The call was widely complied with and Mr. Tchiroma, who was in charge of the streets, became the de facto president, with the country’s capital being Garoua where Tchiroma was based.

The country was gradually becoming a defacto federal republic as Tchiroma governs the Grand North while the Ambazonians were stepping up their game to control the South West and Northwest regions as an independent state, leaving the fraudulent CPDM-party and its cohorts with the Centre and South regions and some patches of the Littoral region.

Meanwhile, the Bamilekes may be waiting for Maurice Kamto to declare and consequently commence the governing of the West region which controls the country’s economy.

Cameroon is falling apart and if the rogue regime in Yaoundé does not act in line with genuine democratic principles, it may end up in exile whence it will be watching the country transforming into a federal republic.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Biya’s continued stay in power: journalist Hans Achomba missing since November 5

11, November 2025

Biya’s continued stay in power: journalist Hans Achomba missing since November 5 0

We, the undersigned organisations, express our deep concern over the disappearance of freelance journalist Hans Achomba since November 5, 2025. To date, his whereabouts remain unknown. We urge the police to investigate the matter and ascertain his whereabouts swiftly.

Before his disappearance, Achomba was questioned by the police on Monday, November 3, over his reporting and social media posts in the build-up to the October 12 elections in Cameroon. Following the elections, protests erupted, resulting in widespread violence, with at least four people killed allegedly by security forces, dozens injured, and hundreds more arrested across the country, according to Human Rights Watch.

When he was questioned by the police on November 3, the police are also reported to have confiscated Achomba’s National Identity Card and Passport. Achomba was supposed to return to the Bamenda Police Station with his lawyer on November 6 at 10:00 am. However, he did not appear at the police station. His lawyer also updated that an attempt was made to verify if he was in police custody, but the police indicated that he had not been detained. Efforts by his family, colleagues, and his lawyer to ascertain his whereabouts have been unsuccessful.

While it is not clear whether Achomba’s disappearance is related to his professional work, these circumstances raise serious concerns about the safety of journalists and the state of media freedom in Cameroon.

In 2017, Achomba was also arrested and detained for several months on accusations of complicity in hostility against the fatherland, secession, propagation of false news, insurrection, incitement to civil war, and complicity in acts of terrorism. He had been seen speaking to a cyclist about why he was on the streets during a time when there were a series of protests, strikes, and shutdowns in the country’s English-speaking regions. He was later released in September 2017 after the office of President Paul Biya announced that Cameroon was ending criminal proceedings against those detained during the period of unrest.

We continue to stand in solidarity with the journalists and the media community in Cameroon, and hope for Achomba’s safe return.

African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX)

Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC)

Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE)

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO)

Initiative for Embracing Humanity in Africa

International Press Institute (IPI)

Kenya Union of Journalists

MISA Mozambique

Moxii Africa (Rebranding from Media Monitoring Africa)

Panos Institute Southern Africa

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF)

Southern Africa Editors Forum (SAEF)

The African Editors Forum (TAEF)

West African Editors Society (WAES)

Zambia Free Press Initiative

Libya: Gaddafi’s youngest son released after 10 years in Lebanese detention

11, November 2025

Libya: Gaddafi’s youngest son released after 10 years in Lebanese detention 0

Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of the deposed Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, has been released by Lebanon after nearly 10 years in detention without trial.

The Lebanese authorities seized Mr Gaddafi, now 49, in 2015, accusing him of concealing information about the fate of a Lebanese Shia cleric who disappeared in Libya in 1978, when he was just two.

Human rights groups had denounced the accusations.

His lawyer told the AFP news agency his $900,000 (£682,938) bail had been paid.

Laurent Bayon said: “It’s the end of a nightmare for him that lasted 10 years.”

In October, a judge set a $11m bail against Gaddafi’s release but this was reduced last week after an appeal by his defence team, according to AFP.

Mr Bayon said his client would leave Lebanon for a “confidential” destination.

“If Gaddafi was able to be arbitrarily detained in Lebanon for 10 years, it’s because the justice system was not independent,” Bayon said, according to AFP.

In 2015, Mr Gaddafi was briefly abducted by an armed group in Lebanon before being freed. He was later detained by Lebanese authorities.

After his father was overthrown by rebels and killed in 2011, he fled to Syria and then had lived under house arrest in Oman with his wife Aline Skaf.

Before the fall of his father’s regime Mr Gaddafi was known for his lavish lifestyle.

The disappearance of Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr in Libya in 1978 has been a source of tension between Libya and Lebanon for decades.

Hannibal Gaddafi was only two at the time and held no senior position in Libya as an adult.

Source: BBC

Atanga Nji: Neither a saint nor a devil, says a family member!

10, November 2025

Atanga Nji: Neither a saint nor a devil, says a family member! 0

A recent article published by Bruno Bidjang, a pro-Cameroon-government journalist, on Atanga Nji’s CFAF 57 million to the ruling CPDM and the government of Cameroon in 1988, has triggered a wave of criticism, with many Cameroonians, many of whom do not have details about Atanga Nji’s wealth and his rise to power, indicating that the Cameroonian territorial administration minister is a crook and had served time in the New Bell Maximum Security Prison.

Cameroon Concord News, Anglophone Cameroon’s premier investigative journalism platform, has decided to conduct an impartial investigation into the minister’s activities with a view to clarifying certain things. Politically, Atanga Nji comes across like a callous and intimidating person, but a family member of the territorial administration minister has decided to shed light on the life of the businessman cum politician to debunk some of the lies which make Mr. Atanga Nji look like an old demon who is still living with humans. The minister’s family member opted for anonymity and Cameroon Concord News Group is helping Cameroonians to know the other side of Mr. Atanga Nji’s life.

Cameroon Concord News: You are related to Mr. Atanga Nji, Cameroon’s territorial administration minister, and you feel hurt when you hear some of the things people who do not know him say about him. What is the other side of the story?

Answer: I have known Mr. Atanga Nji Paul for a long time and I am hurt to hear some of the false stories that are told about him. Far from being a monster and a crook, Paul Atanga Nji is a very hardworking person who from birth had an eye for business opportunities. By the age of 27, Minister Atanga Nji had posted some good business results which enabled him to reach out to the government and the CPDM and this put the spotlight on a young Cameroon who actually came from a rich family and owned a bank in Douala known as Highland bank. His father was a businessman and Mr. Atanga Nji’s business ability might have come from his dad who was well known in the entire Northwest region.

Cameroon Concord News: So why it is always reported that Atanga did some time in New Bell for financial malfeasance?

Answer: The story that he went to prison is false and baseless. Many Cameroonians do not know how processes work in their country and many depend on rumor as their source of information which is indeed unfortunate. There is no record of Mr. Atanga Nji being tried and convicted of a crime. The reality is that he had a business transaction sometime back when he was young, where he imported some Becks beer legally. When the ship arrived, he borrowed some money from a bank whose name I will protect, to complete the clearing operation which is what any normal businessman will do. He paid his loan upon selling his stock of drinks. Shortly after the operation, two of the bank’s staff who were managing accounts for high net worth borrowers disappeared from the country to Canada, absconding with the bank’s money.

As we all know, Cameroon has its processes which sometimes could be complicated. As the matter was reported to the authorities, all the names of those who were managing client accounts and the names of the clients themselves were submitted to the police. The authorities therefore decided to arrest both the clients and the staff managing the accounts for questioning with a view to establishing the truth. 

Cameroon Concord News: So that was how Mr. Atanga Nji was arrested with other people?

Answer: Yes. The truth had to see the light of day and after a thorough investigation, it was established that the clients, including Atanga Nji were innocent. The fault was clearly that of the two bank staff who had absconded to Canada. Mr.  Atanga was released and there was no probable cause for him to be convicted. But as you know, the damage to their reputation had already been done given that they were detained for a short while. No Cameroonian has ever bothered to investigate this matter to bring out the truth. Cameroonians love rumor and it can be said that many Cameroonians dislike Mr. Atanga Nji because of his political beliefs and he seem to be a poster boy of the regime. Nobody has brought out any records of his conviction in Cameroon. The rumor has been spreading and each time you read a story relating to his detention, you will see new additions. Nobody has ever mentioned the name of the trial judge who convicted him and no one has ever mentioned how long he was in jail. I am using this opportunity to debunk what many haters are spreading about a man who believes in hard work. He is not a saint but we should relate nothing but the facts.

Cameroon Concord News: What happened after Mr. Atanga Nji and others were released?

Answer: The reputational damage was huge and Minister Atanga Nji and others felt that the bank which had destroyed their reputation must pay for its mistake. The bank was therefore taken to court in a class action suit and the bank lost. Minister Atanga and the others won their case and things were settled as they should be settled. It is this story of his life that some unscrupulous and hate- filled Cameroonians will not report online. On the contrary, they will take the story which lacks basic legal truths to the Internet because they want to destroy the man’s reputation.

Cameroon Concord News: And what about the story concerning his twin brother?

Answer:  It is also true that he had a twin brother who passed away in a motor accident. Many people have been spreading the false news that he has been using his brother’s name to run his affairs. For those of us who are related to him, we know that his name is Paul Atanga Nji and that has always been his name. Those who went to boarding school with him know him and his twin brother. They know that he is called Paul Atanga Nji and has always been known as such. Strangely, some shameless people in an effort to gain clout and attention on social media will always twist everything to smear him. 

Cameroon Concord News: The same article published by Bruno Bidjang focused on his humanitarian activities but many people always suspect Atanga Nji’s intentions. What can you say about this?

Answer: As you know, falsehood always spreads faster than the truth and sometimes even those who have benefitted from Atanga Nji’s largesse could be reluctant to speak in his support because of his affiliation to the ruling party and the way some malicious persons have painted him. Paul Atanga Nji might be rough on the edges but he is soft on the inside. He has helped and made so many people from Cameroon’s Anglophone community and from his native Mezam to become dollar millionaires. He shares his business intelligence with those who come close to him and has supported many people financially. The beneficiaries of his largesse are all over the country. He has his own ways of governing but those who know him know that he is a very kind person.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank you, sir, for   presenting a different side of the Paul Atanga Nji story. We hope some Cameroonians will conduct more investigations to shed more light on this story.

Answer: It is my pleasure to set certain things right. I know the truth will always prevail. There are no saints on earth and it is irrational of anybody to create monsters where there are none.

Note to the public: Cameroon Concord News, known for its impartiality, is inviting anyone who has a different version of the Atanga Nji story to contact its editor. Our mission is to tell the truth and we are committed to staying impartial.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

Context of the Cameroon Presidential Election and President-Elect Issa Tchiroma’s Ultimatum

10, November 2025

Context of the Cameroon Presidential Election and President-Elect Issa Tchiroma’s Ultimatum 0

Cameroon’s presidential election on October 12, 2025, was marred by allegations of fraud, voter suppression, and irregularities, as reported by opposition groups and international observers.

The Constitutional Council proclaimed incumbent President Paul Biya, aged 92, the winner with 53.7% of the vote on October 27, 2025, securing his eighth term since 1982.

Opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister who ran under the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC), prematurely declared himself the victor on October 14, 2025, calling on Biya to concede and rejecting the results as rigged.

This has triggered widespread protests, particularly in urban centers like Yaoundé and Douala, with security forces responding aggressively, resulting in at least 48 civilian deaths according to UN sources, alongside hundreds of arrests.

In a new development on Sunday, November 9, 2025, President-Elect Issa Tchiroma issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Biya regime. Based on reports from opposition-aligned networks and social media amplification, this ultimatum demands the immediate release of all political prisoners and protesters detained during the pre- and post-election periods, whom Tchiroma’s team describes as “illegally held” victims of state repression. It also calls for an end to the crackdown on demonstrations and the opening of an independent probe into election fraud and protest-related killings.

The 48-hour window expires on November 11, 2025, and President-Elect Tchiroma has warned that failure to comply could lead to escalated civil disobedience, including nationwide strikes and “ghost towns” (business shutdowns).

Critical Analysis of the Ultimatum

President-Elect Tchiroma’s ultimatum represents a high-stakes gamble in Cameroon’s deepening political crisis, blending legitimate grievances with provocative escalation tactics. On one hand, it highlights systemic issues: Pre-election arrests targeted opposition figures and activists (e.g., over 200 detained in September 2025 per Human Rights Watch), while post-election sweeps have netted hundreds more protesters, often without due process, violating Cameroon’s constitution (which mandates charges within 48 hours of detention).

President-Elect Tchiroma frames these as “illegal detentions” to rally support, drawing parallels to the Anglophone crisis (ongoing since 2016, with separatist violence killing thousands) and positioning himself as a defender of democratic rights. This resonates amid youth frustration over Biya’s longevity—Cameroon risks becoming a “gerontocracy” without succession planning, as noted by think tanks like Chatham House.

Critically, however, the ultimatum risks backfiring. Tchiroma’s self-declaration as “president-elect” lacks institutional backing (the Constitutional Council rejected annulment petitions on October 22, 2025), making his demands appear unilateral and inflammatory.

The Biya regime, backed by the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Union (CPDM), has already banned protests as “illegal” and threatened to prosecute Tchiroma for incitement, labeling him a “flight risk.”

Issuing a timed demand without international mediation could provoke preemptive arrests or force, exacerbating ethnic divides (e.g., perceptions of “Beti favoritism” in security deployments).

Moreover, Tchiroma’s past as a government “spin doctor” under Biya undermines his credibility, potentially fracturing opposition unity—other candidates like Cabral Libii have already congratulated Biya.

In essence, while the ultimatum amplifies calls for accountability, it prioritizes confrontation over dialogue, ignoring the regime’s entrenched power (e.g., control over media and judiciary). This echoes past African election crises (e.g., Kenya 2007), where ultimatums fueled chaos without resolution.

Probable Consequences of Unrest and Post-Election Violence

The ultimatum arrives amid simmering violence: Protests have already caused 48+ deaths, property destruction, and internet blackouts, with hotspots in Francophone cities but spillover risks to Anglophone regions (where separatists have stayed quiet but could exploit chaos). If unmet by November 11, probable outcomes include:

1. Escalated Unrest (High Probability): Renewed protests, strikes, and “ghost towns” could paralyze Yaoundé and Douala, disrupting trade (Cameroon’s GDP relies on oil and agriculture exports). ACLED data projects a 30-50% surge in demonstrations by mid-November, with urban clashes mirroring Ivory Coast’s 2020 violence.

2. Increased Violence and Casualties (Medium-High Probability): Security forces’ “excessive force” (e.g., live ammo) has drawn UN condemnation; non-compliance could lead to 100+ additional deaths in weeks, per OHCHR estimates. Ethnic targeting risks “Balkanization,” reigniting Anglophone separatism and Boko Haram incursions in the north.

3. Political and Economic Fallout (Medium Probability): President-Elect Tchiroma’s arrest could splinter the opposition, prolonging Biya’s rule but eroding legitimacy—potentially triggering a coup or succession scramble post-Biya (health rumors persist). Economically, tourism halts and FDI drops (already uncertain per U.S. State Department), with inflation spiking 5-7% amid disruptions.

4. International Ramifications (Low-Medium Probability): Sustained violence could prompt targeted sanctions (e.g., U.S./EU asset freezes on officials) or AU mediation, but France’s historical ties may temper action. Long-term: Deepened refugee flows (500,000+ already displaced) and regional instability spilling into Nigeria/Chad.

International Reactions

U.S. State Department: No formal statement on results or the ultimatum as of November 9, 2025. However, the U.S. Embassy issued a security alert on October 27 warning of “protests involving destruction of property” post-results, urging U.S. citizens to avoid crowds and exercise vigilance amid “Cameroonian law enforcement” responses. This reflects caution over escalation but stops short of endorsing Biya or condemning fraud, consistent with U.S. focus on investment risks pre-election.

European Union (EU): The EU Spokesperson expressed “deep concern” on October 28 over the results proclamation and ensuing violence, noting fraud allegations and calling for “restraint, accountability, and impartial probes” into deaths. It urged protection of freedoms and an end to excessive force, emphasizing the upcoming EU-Africa summit. EU observers had pre-election flagged irregularities, positioning this as a push for democratic norms without direct interference.

United Nations (UN): UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated on October 28 that he “takes note” of the results but is “deeply concerned” by post-electoral violence and “excessive use of force,” reporting at least 48 killings. The OHCHR echoed this on October 30, decrying “alarming deaths” in protests and urging investigations, an end to hate speech, and leader restraint to prevent mass incitement. The UN frames this as a “key opportunity” for civic engagement lost to repression, tying it to broader human rights calls.

France: As Cameroon’s former colonial power and key ally, France issued a measured but critical response on October 29, expressing “particular concern” over the “violent repression” of protests and calling for authorities to “guarantee security and physical integrity” of citizens. It noted the results without congratulations to Biya (unusual for Paris) and highlighted risks to national unity. French media (e.g., RFI) amplified reports of crackdowns, signaling quiet pressure amid economic ties (e.g., TotalEnergies investments).

These reactions underscore global wariness as mitigation requires urgent dialogue via the AU or UN, but the regime’s intransigence suggests a volatile November ahead. Support for stability tempers outright condemnation, but violence has unified calls for de-escalation.

By: Dr. Larry AYAMBA

Tchiroma gives authorities 48-hour ultimatum to release post-election detainees

10, November 2025

Tchiroma gives authorities 48-hour ultimatum to release post-election detainees 0

Cameroon’s opposition continues to contest the result of the latest presidential election. Presidential runner-up Issa Tchiroma Bakary gave authorities a 48-hour ultimatum to release all prisoners arrested in the protests that followed the re-election of Paul Biya.

In a video posted on social media on Sunday, Tchiroma accused the government of “state gangsterism and state terrorism.”

He also asked authorities to stop practices that he said include “ethnic purges.”

“The Cameroonian people no longer want them, the Cameroonian people can no longer tolerate them,” he said.

Tchiroma came second in the presidential election with 35.19% of the vote, finishing behind behind Paul Biya who scored 53.66%, according to official results. But the opposition leader considers himself the president-elect of Cameroon.

Tchiroma is believed to have left Cameroon for Nigeria shortly after the election. He has been calling on Cameroonian people to protest alleged electoral fraud, including through “ghost town” protests.

Cameroonian security forces killed 48 people in a crackdown on post-election demonstrations according to a Reuters report based on UN sources. The government says at least five people died.

Paul Biya was official sworn in on Thursday and called for an end to violence.

“I appeal to everyone’s sense of responsibility. I’m addressing all those who are working to incite hatred and violence in our country, particularly some of our compatriots in the diaspora,” he said.

“Cameroon does not need a post-election crisis with potentially dramatic consequences, as has been seen elsewhere.”

If his ultimatum is not respected, Tchiroma warned authorities that Cameroonian people “will feel free not only to protect themselves but also to do everything possible to protect their children and recover them wherever they are”

Source: Africa News

US: Trump pardons Giuliani and others accused of plot to overturn 2020 election

10, November 2025

US: Trump pardons Giuliani and others accused of plot to overturn 2020 election 0

US President Donald Trump has pardoned his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and dozens of other allies who stood accused of trying to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

He also pardoned his former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, in a proclamation that vowed to “end a grave national injustice”.

Others who benefited from the clemency were a number of so-called false electors, who were accused of trying to hijack the process to certify Joe Biden, a Democrat, as the winner of the election five years ago.

Trump’s move is largely symbolic, however, since pardons only apply to federal crimes and all of the recipients were charged by state-level prosecutors only.

Ed Martin, a justice department attorney, posted the “full, complete and unconditional” pardons on X.

The pardons, said the text of the proclamation, would continue “the process of national reconciliation”.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to the BBC: “Getting prosecuted for challenging results is something that happens in communist Venezuela, not the United States of America, and President Trump is putting an end to the Biden Regime’s communist tactics once and for all.”

This round of clemency does not apply to Trump himself – who denies any wrongdoing – though the president has long maintained he has the power to pardon himself. But any such proclamation by him would face legal challenges.

Giuliani declared bankruptcy two years ago after being found liable for $148m (£112m) for spreading falsehoods about Georgia election workers. He was disbarred as a lawyer in Washington DC and New York.

Source: BBC

Yaoundé: World’s oldest president sworn in for eighth term

6, November 2025

Yaoundé: World’s oldest president sworn in for eighth term 0

Cameroon’s 92-year-old leader Paul Biya has been sworn in for another seven years as president in a ceremony at the country’s parliament in Yaoundé.

Biya won a controversial eighth term in a fiercely disputed election last month.

He has been in power for 43 years, and addressed only one campaign rally before the election.

The nonagenarian, the world’s oldest head of state, won 54% of the vote, compared to the 35% of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, according to the official results. Tchiroma Bakary maintains he was the rightful winner of the poll and has accused the authorities of fraud, which they have denied.

The announcement of the result led to deadly protests across the country.

The authorities say at least four people were killed but the Reuters news agency puts the figure at 48, citing two United Nations sources.

Judges on the Constitutional Council had dismissed eight complaints about the election, citing insufficient evidence of irregularities or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.

Earlier this week, Tchiroma Bakary’s call for a stay-at-home protest was heeded by many people, with streets deserted especially in his strongholds of Garoua and Douala.

The opposition leader was a former government information minister who broke ranks with Biya to challenge him for power.

He has refused to file an official complaint.

Source: BBC

The delusion of democracy in Cameroon

6, November 2025

The delusion of democracy in Cameroon 0

Throughout history, great thinkers and psychologists have wondered why people prefer to live with illusions rather than confront painful realities. In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Leon Festinger observed that when our beliefs or actions clash with reality, we experience deep psychological discomfort. To avoid this discomfort, humans often distort facts because fabrications offer emotional comfort. As long as the truth threatens one’s character and outlook, illusion will always remain a harmless shelter.

Nowhere are a people more tied in collective delusion than in Cameroon, where many citizens honestly believe they live in a democracy. This delusion has been evident since 92-year-old Paul Biya was declared the victor in last month’s presidential election. Earlier today, 6th November 2025, Mr Biya was inaugurated to serve seven more years as president of the republic. A term he will complete at 99. During the ceremony, the nonagenarian was being instructed by one of his caregivers on what to do because Mr Biya evidently was unaware of what was happening around him- a shocking, pathetic and sorry indictment of all Cameroonians.

Since the election, many have taken to social media to voice their anger and disappointment at ELECAM for rigging the election. These petitions sound like noble calls for transparency in a democratic society. However, truth be told, Cameroon is far from a democracy, and pretending otherwise is the height of delusion and naivety. The inaugural charade of a care-home resident as president of the country proves my point about this collective naivety and delusion. To add insult to injury, the inauguration ceremony took place in absolute peace, with no protests whatsoever.

Cameroon possesses, on paper, some practices of democracy like regular elections and multiple political parties. These trappings have deceived many into believing the country’s political system is a democracy. Any serious student of politics knows that elections alone do not make a democracy; they are merely one of its instruments. Since 1990, the ruling CPDM party has vigorously promoted the image of democracy through its state-controlled media. As the old saying goes, a lie told repeatedly enough becomes the truth.

In reality, Cameroon’s so-called democracy is a façade designed to appease the international community and pacify citizens who still cling to the illusion. By most comparative political standards, Cameroon is an electoral authoritarian regime. The system blends the institutions of democracy on paper with the practices of dictatorship in practice. In such regimes, elections are manipulated, opposition is allowed but ostracized, the media is censored, and establishments like the judiciary and ELECAM lack independence.

ELECAM is not an autonomous electoral body. It is an extension of the ruling party’s machinery. Expecting transparency from it is like asking a mirror to reflect anything other than your own image. There are credible reports that ELECAM paid CFA Frs 300,000 ($550) “bonuses” to its low-ranking employees and much more money to senior employees shortly before last month’s elections. Cameroonians must stop legitimizing empty institutions like ELECAM by expecting them to act against their nature. Cameroon needs an awakening, and the time has come to tear off the mask.

What the CPDM syndicate is operating is deception, not democracy. Cameroon is a tragedy and a nation living in denial. Only when Cameroonians summon the courage to confront this truth and reject the comforting lie that they live in a democratic state will the possibility of real democracy become a reality. Change in Cameroon will not come through the ballot box because Cameroon is not a democracy. This collective democracy delusion must stop.

By Isong Asu

Goodbye National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon

6, November 2025

Goodbye National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon 0

The Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) are the national assemblies of Catholic bishops in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Cameroon, charged with providing collective guidance on issues of faith, morals, social justice and public life. The similarities end there.

While the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo successfully got the Congolese dictator President Kabila out of power in Kinshasa, our NECC has only been issuing press releases, pastoral letters and holding seminars with a convoy of Prado jeeps parked outside without ever examining the Roman Catholic Church’s engagement with the Cameroonian society.

Like in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Nigeria where the Holy Roman Catholic Church remains a powerful moral voice, influencing society and the political and economic environment, the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon has been acting like an institution trapped in economic and social stagnation.

Cameroonian bishops have described corruption as a “persistent cancer”, and deplored weak public infrastructure despite large budget allocations. But they have avoided naming and shaming the predominant Roman Catholic government running the crime syndicate in Yaoundé. None of their pastoral letters have ever commented on the huge number of Roman Catholic Cameroon government ministers and general managers of state-owned companies jailed for corruption.

The crisis in Anglophone Cameroon has made matters worse and has significantly strained the Roman Catholic Church’s pastoral, humanitarian and moral engagement.

Roman Catholic government officials in Cameroon have been criticized by NECC for issues such as vote-buying. But these same government ministers continue to receive Holy Communion from the hands of Bishops. The Bishops need to sit and think and rethink things.

Regularly, NECC issues powerful statements but the translation into concrete change ranges from plain fiction to the most absurd. For example, despite repeated warnings about corruption orchestrated by a Roman Catholic-led Biya administration, the situation remains largely unchanged.

On the electoral front, NECC remains a prominent and successful failure with its pastoral letters coming out as vague and only relying on moral exhortation rather than concrete proposals.

For those who do not know, for any institution to be influential, public credibility and clarity matters. Recent statements by the Archbishop of Douala, the Bishop of Bafoussam and lately the Bishop of Bafang, shows internal governance weaknesses in NECC and a sharp decline in NECC’s moral authority.

Now that all the Roman Catholic Bishops are saying their own things on the post election violence, the NECC simply has no place and faithful and citizens are becoming disengaged. This begs the question: where is the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon?

Given the severe post election crisis, was there a need for His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea, President of the National Episcopal Conference to make the pilgrimage trip to Rome?

Other actors such as civil society and international organizations are slowly but surely filling the advocacy and monitoring gap and correspondingly, they are diminishing the Roman Catholic Church’s unique position in the Republic of Cameroon.

A stitch in time saves nine

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

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