Cameroon's 92-Year-Old President Sworn In Again: The End of Democracy?

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Cameroon’s, Paul Biya ,has done it again ,— at 92 years old, he has been sworn ,in for an eighth, term, extending a ,presidency that ,began back in ,1982. But what does another ,Biya term mean for Cameroon’,s democracy, its youth, and its ,future?  In this documentary-,style analysis, we explore:  How Paul Biya has ,maintained power for over four ,decades  The controversial ,2025 election results and post,-election unrest  The Anglophone ,crisis that continues to tear the nation apart  Cameroon’s generational d,ivide — and what comes ,next  From military repression, to the politics of patronage, Cameroon stands at a ,crossroads., With more than half, of its population under 30, the question remains — can a ,92-year-old ruler truly represent a young, and restless nation?

Transcript

00:00In Yaoundé's Grand Unity Palace, the air was heavy with ceremony but light on celebration.

00:06Cameroon's Paul Biya, at 92 years old, stood before the nation once again,

00:13sworn in for an eighth term as president.

00:16His face, marked by decades of rule,

00:19reflected a man who has outlasted almost every African leader of his generation.

00:24Biya has governed since 1982.

00:27Through the Cold War, the rise of multi-party politics, and countless regional crises.

00:33But as he raised his hand to take the oath,

00:36this week the moment felt less like renewal and more like repetition.

00:42Outside the palace, protests and anger filled the streets,

00:46a reminder that beneath the calm surface of official ceremonies,

00:50Cameroon's political system is under immense strain.

00:57The latest election, held on October 12th,

01:02was one of the most disputed in the country's recent history.

01:07Official results gave Biya a victory with 53.66% of the vote,

01:13while his main challenger, Issa Chiroma, received 35.19%.

01:19Yet the opposition and civil society groups have rejected those figures,

01:25claiming that the vote was marred by intimidation,

01:28restricted campaigning, and widespread irregularities.

01:32Many polling stations in the Anglophone regions were either closed or heavily guarded,

01:37discouraging turnout.

01:39As results were announced, protests broke out in major cities,

01:43including Douala and Bamenda.

01:44The United Nations later confirmed that at least 48 civilians were killed during demonstrations

01:50as security forces opened fire on protesters.

01:54The government has not released its own death toll,

01:57nor has it commented on the allegations of violence,

02:00deepening suspicion of an official cover-up.

02:02Biya, in his inauguration address,

02:04acknowledged the difficulties facing Cameroon,

02:07but placed the blame squarely on what he called irresponsible elements.

02:10A reference to opposition figures and members of the diaspora

02:14who have criticized his government.

02:17To many Cameroonians, his words sounded detached from reality.

02:22Instead of offering reconciliation,

02:24Biya's message focused on discipline and order.

02:27He spoke of challenges, but without concrete solutions

02:30for the deep frustration that millions now feel.

02:34For many, his presidency has come to symbolize endurance without evolution.

02:38His speech reminded observers that while Biya's government continues to emphasize unity,

02:44it has done little to address the growing divide between the state and its citizens.

02:49The result is a nation stuck in time,

02:52led by a man who refuses to step aside,

02:56even as the country's social fabric weakens.

02:59Paul Biya's rule has long been characterized by control and careful balance.

03:03Over the decades, he has built an extensive network of loyalists across the army,

03:09the ruling party, and the civil service.

03:12This structure has ensured that challenges to his power rarely succeed.

03:17His strongest base of support comes from the military,

03:20particularly the Rapid Intervention Battalion,

03:23an elite force known for its loyalty to the presidency.

03:27Political opponents are often weakened by co-optation or internal division,

03:31while state resources are used to maintain the loyalty of local elites.

03:37This system has kept Biya in power for more than 40 years,

03:41but it has also frozen political competition and discouraged reform.

03:46Cameroon today is considered one of Central Africa's most stable countries,

03:50but also one of its least democratic.

03:53The timing of this disputed election is particularly sensitive.

03:56Cameroon is still struggling with a long-running conflict in its Anglophone regions,

04:02where separatists are fighting to create an independent state called Ambazonia.

04:08Since 2017, the conflict has killed thousands and displaced over 700,000 people.

04:15Entire towns have been burned and schools destroyed.

04:18The government's heavy-handed approach, marked by mass arrests and reports of human rights abuses,

04:26has drawn international criticism.

04:29Meanwhile, the separatist groups themselves have carried out kidnappings and attacks on civilians.

04:35With this unrest already tearing at the country's unity,

04:39the recent post-election violence adds another layer of instability.

04:42Observers fear that if the government continues to ignore grievances,

04:48these conflicts could spread further,

04:50threatening the fragile balance Biya has maintained for decades.

04:54Opposition leader Aysa Bakari's defiance added an unexpected twist to the election.

05:00Once a member of Biya's cabinet,

05:02Bakari resigned earlier this year and positioned himself as a reformist alternative.

05:06After the vote, he declared that he, not Biya, was the rightful winner,

05:12claiming support from within the army.

05:15He even suggested that certain soldiers loyal to him had ensured his safety,

05:20hinting at divisions within the security establishment.

05:23Whether this claim was true or an attempt to project strength remains unclear,

05:27but it highlighted growing unease about Cameroon's future leadership.

05:31Biya's health and succession plans are a constant subject of speculation.

05:38Many within his own party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement,

05:43are quietly preparing for the inevitable transition,

05:46but no one dares to say it aloud.

05:49The generational gap in Cameroon's politics has never been wider.

05:53Over 60% of the population is under the age of 30,

05:57yet the country's leadership is made up almost entirely of men in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.

06:03Young Cameroonians face rising unemployment, corruption, and a lack of opportunity.

06:10Many believe that the same old political elite

06:12has little interest in addressing their problems.

06:16This frustration is increasingly expressed online,

06:19where youth movements and diaspora activists

06:22have turned social media into platforms of resistance.

06:26The post-election protests reflected this generational divide.

06:32Not only a rejection of Biya's continued rule,

06:35but of a political system that feels locked in the past.

06:39Unless there is real political reform,

06:42this youth discontent could become the next major challenge to Biya's rule.

06:45International reactions to Biya's re-election have been cautious.

06:50France, Cameroon's former colonial power,

06:52congratulated Biya but urged inclusive dialogue to ease tensions.

06:56The African Union and United Nations have called for restraint and transparency,

07:01while human rights organizations have demanded investigations into the protest killings.

07:06For now, Biya's government remains defiant,

07:10confident in its control of the army and bureaucracy.

07:13Yet analysts warn that this control may not last forever.

07:18As economic pressures mount and political divisions widen,

07:22even long-standing authoritarian systems can unravel.

07:26Biya's eighth term may mark not the continuation of stability,

07:31but the beginning of its slow decline.

07:33The ceremony that crowned the world's oldest leader may, in time,

07:38be remembered not for the power it displayed,

07:41but for the cracks it revealed,

07:43in a country where one man's legacy has come to define the fate of millions.

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