Cameroon's 92-year-old president Biya declares bid for historic eighth term

President Paul Biya, Africa's second-longest-serving president after Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, has held power since shortly after Cameroon's independence. Despite recurring health issues and recent medical treatment abroad, he remains a dominant political figure—often at the center of unfounded death rumors that have circulated over the years.

In his statement to the media, Biya highlighted his accomplishments to date while emphasizing the continued need to tackle pressing challenges facing the Cameroonian people.

"In the face of an increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing. In such a situation, I cannot shirk my mission," Biya stated on his X account."

He added, "Rest assured that my determination to serve you is commensurate with the serious challenges facing us."

Biya's four-decade rule has faced significant challenges, including widespread corruption, the ongoing Anglophone secessionist crisis, and a lackluster development record. His prolonged absences from the public eye have fueled persistent speculation about who truly holds power in Cameroon.

The government, through the Communication Ministry, banned any public discussion of Biya's health; however, the media largely ignored this order.

Biya removed the term limit in a 2008 constitutional referendum, later allowing him to run in the 2011 and 2018 elections, which opposition parties disputed.

Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement stands as Biya's main challenger, vowing to restore the nation's image and rebuild its institutions.

Upon returning from France, Kamto was barred from holding a campaign event in Douala. Meanwhile, several opposition figures and activists remain imprisoned. Human rights groups and opposition parties have accused Biya's government of systematically silencing dissent and suppressing free speech.

In response to President Biya's latest announcement to seek re-election, many residents in the capital, Yaoundé, expressed fear over speaking openly about politics, citing concerns about potential reprisals. Some chose to remain anonymous, declining to share their names, ages, or professions.

"Never in the political history of nations have I seen or heard of a man of that age declaring his candidacy in a presidential election," one individual told the BBC, requesting anonymity.