Cameroon

24, January 2025

A new unrealistic Biya mandate would constitute a mistake ⁰

Several Cameroonian bishops have taken sides against the possibility of a new candidacy by Paul Biya in the presidential election to be held in October 2025. After 42 years of unchallenged rule, part of the Church in Cameroon wants to turn the page in a country that appears fragmented.

At 91 years old, the “sphinx” is the oldest elected leader in office and the second head of state in the world still alive in terms of longevity in power.

This adds fuel to the fire for Africans who made the ironic statement that Africa is a “young continent led by old people.” To top it all off, add to that the autocratic management of Paul Biya, which has hardened after his last highly contested election in 2018, repressing any dissenting political opinion in the country.

The worrying state of health of the current head of state might have been a intimation that the latter would finally hand over the reins. Alas, during his New Year’s wishes for 2025, Paul Biya kept his political future vague. “I have heard your calls and your encouragement, and I remain devoted to serving our beloved nation,” he declared in response to the cleverly orchestrated messages from his fervent supporters who are asking him to run for office one last time in 2025.

A new “unrealistic” mandate would constitute a “mistake” according to the terms used by the Archbishop of Douala on RFI. “People are worried, we need a peaceful transition,” added Bishop Samuel Kleda. Words little appreciated by the government.

While one of the opposition representatives – Jean-Michel Nintcheu, president of the Front for Change – praised the archbishop and called on Paul Biya to take “a well-deserved retirement,” the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs accused the prelate of having “exceeded his clerical responsibilities.”

“He sometimes feels obliged to take political positions, without analyzing all the consequences. He has therefore taken his position as a citizen, and those among his flock who want to follow him will follow him,” deplored Grégoire Owona.

But Bishop Kleda’s episcopal remarks are far from being isolated within the Cameroonian Catholic Church: on January 1, Bishop Barthélemy Yaouda Hourgo, Bishop of Yagoua (North of the country) denounced, miter on head, the possible candidacy of Paul Biya. “We are not going to put up with any more, we have suffered enough as it is,” exploded the prelate in a message that quickly went viral on social networks.

“The most terrible suffering is that Cameroonians are forbidden to express their suffering. . . referring to threats by the Cameroon Minister of Territorial Administration who describes the state as a ‘blender’ that will crush anyone voicing contrary opinions to that of the government. Who are they going to govern when they have crushed all the Cameroonians? Cameroonians are asked to avoid hate speech, but from above we receive words of violence,” stated the Bishop of Yagoua.

With more restraint, Jean Mbarga, Archbishop of Yaoundé, the country’s capital, called on the State “to do everything to ensure that the voice of Cameroonians is heard,” discreetly alluding to the political transition for which a large part of the citizens are calling.

According to Thomas Atenga, professor of communication at the University of Douala interviewed by the BBC, the position of some members of the Cameroon Catholic clergy would reveal the fragmentation between “the real country and its daily sufferings, which the bishops claim to be close to, and the political class that seems disconnected from the reality experienced by Cameroonians.”

Even if the Catholic hierarchy is not unanimous in its rejection of the “sphinx,” according to the professor, the Church – an institution of importance in this African country – “has no other choice but to aspire to greater freedom. Because after 42 years in power, it is high time that Cameroonians experienced other forms of hope, of government, which allow them to think that, the world is different from the one they have known for these years.”

Source: RFI

9, January 2025

“Biya has realized that the time has come to leave” Joshua Osih ⁰

The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Joshua Osih, met the press on Tuesday 7 January 2025. This is a traditional meeting that the SDF leader honours at the beginning of each year.

The business tycoon took the opportunity to revisit President Biya’s message to the nation on 31 January 2024, as well as the statements made by Roman Catholic bishops.

According to Joshua Osih, Biya himself has noted that the time has come to leave and this is what the Cameroonian Bishops have noticed, although they are not alone. Joshua Osih stated that the bishops have simply made public what everyone else is thinking.

‘When you listen to the President of the Republic on 31 December, the least you can do is give us an assessment. If you can’t tell us what you’ve done in a year, if you cannot tell us what you’ve done in 42 years. Unfortunately, it has to be said that Biya is incapable of doing so. He has also realised that the time has come to leave. The Catholic Bishops have noticed this, and they are not alone. Everyone has seen it. But they have a platform that others don’t have. That’s why, from this platform, they have said out loud what others think in silence’, Joshua Osih told teleasu.tv journalists.

Hon. Osih described Cameroon as a country at the end of its tether. According to Joshua Osih, the end-of-year celebrations are a clear sign of failure, epitomised by the President of the Republic.

‘The Cameroonian majority has always been a silent majority. When you see how the end-of-year celebrations went today, with deserted streets and very little music, you understand that Cameroon is at the end of its tether. And the person who embodies this failure, all he can do to save us from a bloodbath, is to leave’, said Joshua Osih.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

8, January 2025

Minister René Sadi says no conflict between government and the Catholic Church ⁰

The Cameroonian government denies any conflict with religious denominations, particularly the Catholic Church, following recent statements by clergy members opposing President Paul Biya’s potential candidacy in the upcoming presidential election (scheduled for October 2025).

In a press release on January 7, Minister of Communication René Emmanuel Sadi reiterated that Cameroon is a secular state where religions coexist peacefully with public authorities. However, he described the stance taken by some Catholic clergy on Biya’s potential candidacy as “pure speculation,” noting that the president has yet to announce his intentions.

The controversy began on December 25 when Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala told Radio France Internationale (RFI) that a Biya candidacy in the next election “is not realistic.” President Biya subsequently declared in his New Year’s address that his “resolve to serve” remains strong, a statement widely interpreted as a hint at his intention to run.

Following this, bishops from Yagoua, Bafoussam, and Ngaoundéré used their sermons to call for leadership change in the country. Minister Sadi expressed regret over the “vehemence” of these positions, which he characterized as focusing solely on the presidential race and based on an “unwarranted interpretation” of the president’s remarks.

Source: Business in Cameroon

3, January 2025

New Year Day Homilies: Roman Catholic Bishops call on Biya to step down ⁰

President Paul Biya 91 must resign from power, three Roman Catholic Bishops reportedly said during their New Year Day homilies.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, Bishop Emmanuel Abbo of the diocese of Ngaoundéré and Bishop Yaouda Hourgo, Bishop of Yagoua all said that Mr Biya has ruined a wonderful country, turning a bread-basket into a basket case.

The Bishops said it is well past time for Mr Biya to go, saying several sham elections have been followed by several sham processes of power-sharing that produced nothing but suffering.

In their New Year Day homilies, they called for a form of political transition by the end of 2024.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, stated that it is unrealistic for Biya to contest the 2025 presidential election. Kleda invoked the wear and tear of time and the vanity of life and added that ‘this is not realistic […] we are human beings. At some point we leave this world, we can’t perform miracles’.

“We’re not going to suffer any more than that. We’ve already suffered. The worst is not going to come. Even the Devil should first take power in Cameroon and then we’ll see…” Archbishop Kleda furthered.

For his part, Mgr Emmanuel Abbo, Bishop of Ngaoundere, reflected on the poor living conditions of Cameroonians and denounced the present form of repression of the freedom of expression of citizens living in deplorable conditions. ‘How is it possible that the desperate pleas of Cameroonians do not prompt the country’s leaders to put an end to their suffering? And the greatest suffering of all is that Cameroonians are forbidden to express their suffering’, the Man of God lamented.

Also speaking on New Year’s Day was Bishop Yaouda Hourgo of the Yagoua diocese. His Lordship Bishop Yaouda said it is time to put an end to the suffering of the Cameroonian people. For him, there is an urgent need for another Cameroonian to take power immediately.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

2, January 2025

Biya hints at another bid for presidency ⁰

President Paul Biya gave his end of year address to the nation, and a not so subtle hint that he still has interest in keeping the presidency.

Biya warned that 2025 – the year Cameroon is meant to hold presidential elections is ‘full of challenges’, which was interpreted by some observers as a suggestion that he sees himself as president of the central African country beyond 2025.

Biya said he was paying attention to the cries of his party’s members who have recently embarked on a propaganda drive to market his candidacy.

At almost 92 years old, 40 of which he has spent at the head of his country, Paul Biya remains the sole candidate of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement according to the party’s constitution.

Source: Africa News

30, December 2024

Will Biya resign and allow Dion Ngute to be president? ⁰

There is no proof that Unity Palace and the Star Building have considered doing this, but according to our Cameroon Intelligence Report chief correspondent in Yaoundé, Biya is contemplating to resign the presidency after New Year celebrations to make Prime Minister Dion Ngute the president of the Republic.

Rita Akana explained this move and cited a well-placed source who met President Biya recently in Yaoundé.

President Biya was painted as having a divided mind on handing over before the elections in 2025 or running as a candidate and then step down, making the way for a Dion Ngute presidency.

“From what he told an aide late last week, he now fully understands that he no longer has the energy to run state affairs. I’m not saying that he intends to resign soonest, but that’s exactly what he is planning do,” the source said.

As 2025 approaches, many Cameroonians are concerned about the future of their country. Cameroon is at a standstill both politically and economically. The country is in dire need of an overhaul and many analysts have opined that the 2025 presidential election might reshape the country’s future.

However, though the presidential election is less than ten months away, Cameroonians are not yet aware of the candidates in the race for the Unity Palace as some political parties have not yet revealed their candidates to the public and this is indeed a cause for concern.

The 2025 presidential polls cannot be discussed without mentioning the incumbent’s name. Mr. Biya who has been in power for 42 years has the benefit of incumbency. His total control of the country’s treasury gives him certain financial advantages which other parties may not have.

However, his long stay in power might be a huge disadvantage as many Cameroonians are of the opinion that he has overstayed his welcome. His age and failing health could also be some of the annoying inconveniences which might mar Mr. Biya’s campaign.

However, some analysts say he might not run as his age has diminished his mental and physical ability. The analysts hold that he might manage the transition to ensure that his successor comes from his party to ensure that his family and collaborators get the protection they need when he leaves power.

Mr. Biya has been a fixture on Cameroon’s political landscape having been thrust into power by the country’s first president, Amadou Ahidjo, who resigned in 1982. Ahidjo saw the young Biya as an asset to the country and thought that Mr. Biya was capable of steering the country to better shores.

Unfortunately, things have not turned out as planned. The country’s economy has been in shambles for more than three decades, with unemployment reaching alarming levels. Many young Cameroonians are frustrated and thousands have left the country to try their luck somewhere else. Cameroon has not been the eldorado Ahidjo thought it would become under Mr. Biya.

Nepotism and corruption have become the country’s hallmarks. The massive, dysfunctional and corrupt civil service is full of Biya loyalists and tribesmen and this is a tough challenge the next president will have to deal with.

Currently, the government is bleeding money and in a bid to raise more money, the government is instituting more annoying taxes. The 2024 finance bill has just been passed and it is not good news to struggling Cameroonians. The new taxes will trigger a further escalation of living cost and most Cameroonians who are already in the throes of a severe crisis will have to look for creative ways to survive if they must not be rolled into an early grave by high prices.

The 2025 polls are an opportunity for Cameroonians to reshape their political destiny. The lineup of candidates is impressive. Will they vote for continuity or will they design a new path by walking away from the ruling party which has made corruption a way of life?

By Miriam Metchane Ewang

17, December 2024

SDF leaders mobilize support for Joshua Osih ahead of 2025 presidential election ⁰

The leaders of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in Cameroon’s Centre region are calling on party militants to mobilize in support of Joshua Osih’s candidacy for next year’s presidential election. During a recent meeting of the region’s Executive Committee, it was agreed that every party member should act as an “ambassador” for Osih’s campaign. Additionally, the regional leadership is aiming to expand its ranks by recruiting new sympathizers, a move also intended to prepare for the upcoming legislative and municipal elections.

The critical question now is whether these measures will be enough to strengthen the SDF’s presence in the Centre region, particularly ahead of the presidential election. To meet this challenge, the party will need to urgently revitalize its grassroots structures. According to the December 2024 edition of the SDF newsletter, the latest Executive Committee meeting found that “most of the structures across the region’s ten departments are inactive.”

A reorganization of these structures appears to be in the works. This is not the first time the SDF has attempted such an overhaul. After disappointing results in the 2020 legislative and municipal elections in Mfoundi—Yaoundé’s most significant department—the party launched efforts to revive its activities there. However, four years later, little progress has been made, as the Executive Committee acknowledges that operations in Mfoundi remain nearly stagnant.

Joshua Osih, who hopes to run for the presidency as the head of a platform comprising political parties, trade unions, and associations, faces significant challenges. In the 2018 presidential election, Osih finished in fourth place with a lackluster result, marking a major setback for the SDF, which lost its position as the leading opposition party. At the time, the party attributed its poor performance to the security crisis in the North-West and South-West regions (Noso)—traditional SDF strongholds—where many militants were unable to vote.

Source: Business in Cameroon

9, December 2024

Réponse à votre article intitulé: Manyu Political Landscape ⁰

Je suis un fidèle lecteur de votre journal en ligne qui à ma connaissance est l’un des journaux les plus respectés chez les anglophones.

Votre article concernant les changements politiques au Cameroun en 2025 voire dans le département de la Manyu a attiré mon attention. Il est vraiment un appel vibrant aux hommes politiques de ce département à se mettre au travail.

Les problèmes auxquels font face les gens de ce département sont exactment les mêmes qui nous confrontent dans la partie francophone. Ne croyez pas que vous êtes les seuls à faire face aux problèmes économiques dans ce pays.

Je respecte l’avis de l’auteur de cet article mais j’aimerais ajouter que bien qu’elle soit importante dans le développement économique et politique de notre pays, la Diaspora camerounais ne semble pas maîtriser les problèmes auxquels sont confrontés les populations du Cameroun.

Il serait donc peu judicieux pour prendre un membre de la Diaspora qui s’est séparé du pays pendant des années pour qu’il devienne l’élu du peuple. Pour les membres de la Diaspora qui estiment qu’ils peuvent apporter des contributions significatives au développement du pays, j’aimerais les inviter à venir vivre au Cameroun pendant quelques années pour bien s’imprégner de la réalité du pays avant de chercher à représenter le peuple soit au sénat soit au parlement.

Le Cameroun dispose des particularités politiques et il sera important aux futurs élus du peuple de maîtriser d’abord les contours de la politique camerounais avant d’y lancer.

J’aurais aimer écrire cette réponse en anglais mais ma maîtrise de la langue anglaise laisse beaucoup à désirer.

Si la traduction de ce message ne vous pose pas de problème, vous pouvez le traduire en anglais pour permettre à vos lecteurs de bien comprendre ma réponse.

Merci de votre compréhension!

Jean-Pierre Mballa à Yaounde.

9, December 2024

2025 presidential election: Who will run? ⁰

Despite the suspense, some candidates are already working hard to make their presidential ambitions known and their programs are out there for people to appreciate.

First to inform Cameroonians about his presidential ambition is Barrister Akere Muna, a world known Cameroonian lawyer who has made his country proud. At the international level, Akere Muna is known for his unrelenting effort to stamp out corruption from many international organizations and from his native Cameroon. It is not in error that he is known as Mr. Glencore, a name given to him after his commendable efforts to ensure that Cameroonian officials which took money from Glencore, get punished according to the law.

Though his efforts in that regard have not produced anything meaningful, Barrister Muna is not throwing in the towel and his determination to become the president of Cameroon only increases by the day as he wants to stamp out corruption in high places in Cameroon.

Barrister Muna is not a new face in the race. He understands the challenges and many Cameroonians think that he is capable of changing many things in the country. Many Cameroonians are looking up to him and this explains why his endorsement by some opposition parties as their candidate caused some excitement.

Although he has not yet openly declared that he will be in the race, many Cameroonians hold that Prof. Maurice Kamto will be a key player and could even be the favorite.

He was in the 2018 presidential race where he claimed victory and ended up in custody for eight months. Despite that setback, Prof. Kamto still has his eyes on the big prize. A law professor who brought fame and Bakassi to Cameroon, Prof. Kamto is seen by many as the man who is capable of beating the incumbent who has been in power for over four decades.

His MRC party has won hearts and minds across the country and many hold that if given an opportunity, Prof. Kamto’s party might help address some of the economic and political challenges that have bogged down the country.

Though the ruling CPDM is trying very hard to characterize MRC as a regional party, Prof. Kamto has continued to develop and position his party as a national party which will unite the country after the Biya era which has made divide and rule its cardinal objective.

Prof. Kamto has always drawn the world’s attention to the disaster playing out in the country’s two English-speaking regions and has promised to meet with separatists leaders if he becomes the president of Cameroon. He believes in federalism and has always stated that he would not preside over the balkanisation of his beloved Cameroon.

Also expected to be in the race is the SDF chairman, Josua Osih, though he has not yet openly declared his candidacy. Mr. Osih is currently a parliamentarian. Serving as a parliamentarian has given Mr. Osih a lot of experience which will surely come in handy when and if he wins the presidential race.

The SDF is currently not the chief opposition party in Cameroon and its influence has diminished following the demise of its premier and iconic leader, John Fru Ndi, who gave the current president, Paul Biya, a run for his money in the 1992 presidential election. The SDF is capable of staging a massive comeback and many observers hold that Mr. Osih’s low-key and collaborative leadership approach might deliver a massive surprise in the 2025 polls.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

8, December 2024

Manyu Political Landscape: Change is on the horizon ⁰

A senior Manyu political leader has informed the Cameroon Concord News Group that there will be significant political changes in Cameroon in 2025 and that Manyu Division will be a totally different political landscape, as the youths of the Division are calling for change.

The politician, who elected anonymity, said that the current political dispensation in Manyu is hurting the Division as many current political leaders have failed to bring much-needed economic development to the Division whose economy is in the throes of a severe crisis.

He added that the youths of Manyu were already grumbling and looking outwards for that person who would understand their problems and would seek to bring meaningful economic initiatives to the Division.

“We need factories. We need a good hospital. We want our children to go to school in the best possible conditions. We know that the Diaspora can help us, but their help could be coordinated for it to deliver better results and that is why we of Manyu Division are urging members of our Diaspora to participate in the politics of our Division. We need people who will not come to earn a salary. We need people with ideas,” the politician stressed.

“After next year’s presidential election, the people of Manyu should take a look at those who have been representing us at the national level,” the angry politician said, stressing that “we have to look at young people to take over from our current politicians, most of whom have never kept their election promises.”

“Besides the Member of Parliament from Eyumojock, Honorable Teku Tanyi, who is constantly in his constituency to bring hope and some development initiatives, most of our politicians are simply dormant and will only come home when there are elections or when their political interests are at stake,” the angry politician said.

“Elective positions in Manyu should be given to young, dynamic and well to do Manyu men and women who have the Division’s interest at heart. We need people who can bring development to Manyu. We need people who can bring jobs to our youths,” he added.

“We must start looking at young and successful men and women in the Diaspora who can mobilize resources abroad for Manyu development. A few names have already been dropped and we hear that one of two Manyu senatorial seats will go to one of Manyu illustrious sons who have been pushing for Manyu development for decades,” the politician said.

“Our current senator is old, sick and tired and has nothing to show for, given the time he has been at the Senate in Yaounde. The current senator should consider his age and should support any young person who might express an interest in running. Manyu needs change but we want that transition to be smooth and friendly so that there will be peace. However, if the plea of the grassroots is not taken seriously, there will be change and it will be painful,” he stressed

“Manyu needs change and it needs people with a broad and global world view. Manyu needs a political leader who can connect the Division with the Division’s growing Diaspora, especially in North America. Manyu needs a credible person, somebody with great development ideas. We are tired of empty promises. We do not care where the person comes from. We need someone who loves Manyu and his people and based on what I have been hearing, we have someone from North America who will bring us the progress we need,” he pointed out.

“Our Members of Parliament must do more for our people. The people of Manyu are disappointed and they want change and any elected politician who does not deliver will not represent us anymore,” he stressed.

By our Mamfe correspondent Nkongho Philip Agbor