Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest sitting leader, was sworn in on Thursday for an eighth term, extending his 43-year rule after a disputed election that triggered widespread protests and a violent crackdown that left several demonstrators dead.
The 92-year-old leader secured victory in the October 12 election with 53.7 percent of the vote, according to official figures, defeating his main rival, former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who garnered 35.2 percent.
Biya took the oath of office during a parliamentary ceremony in Yaounde, marking the beginning of another seven-year tenure at the helm of the Central African nation.
“I will spare no effort to continue to be worthy of this trust,” Biya declared at the event, which was attended by domestic political figures but no foreign dignitaries.
“I fully understand the gravity of the situation our country is going through. I understand the number and severity of the challenges we face and I understand the depth of frustrations and the scale of expectations,” he added.
Tchiroma, once a close ally of Biya who later joined the opposition, captured strong support among young voters yearning for change and maintains that he was the legitimate winner of the election.
“There are now two presidents — the president elected by the Cameroonian people (me) and the president appointed by the Constitutional Council (whom you know),” he posted on social media on Wednesday.
He has persistently called on his followers to challenge the official outcome, which turned out to be tighter than many had anticipated.
Several fatalities were reported when security forces violently dispersed opposition demonstrations shortly before and after Biya’s victory was officially announced on October 27.
– Political Standoff –
Tchiroma has since called on citizens to observe “dead city” protests, urging businesses to close and public life to pause.
Reactions have varied across the country; the movement gained traction in Garoua and Douala, while in Yaounde, most shops stayed open, students attended classes, and workers reported to their jobs.
Following the announcement of results, Tchiroma was placed under house arrest in Garoua, though a spokesperson told AFP on Tuesday that he was “on the move.”
Authorities have announced plans to prosecute the opposition leader, accusing him of making “repeated calls for insurrection.”
The government has admitted that people lost their lives during the unrest but has yet to disclose an official casualty count.
“With neither side willing to back down, the risks of worsening unrest are high,” the International Crisis Group (ICG) warned in an October 29 report.
Both the European Union and the African Union have condemned the government’s violent suppression of protests, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has demanded an investigation into the incidents.
Since Cameroon’s independence from France in 1960, Biya has been only the nation’s second president.
He has maintained power through authoritarian rule, stifling political dissent and armed opposition while navigating persistent social unrest, economic disparity, and separatist conflicts.
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