Africans who expect the reduction in the list of dictators in the continent will be disappointed with the turn of events in Cameroon. The country’s President, Paul Biya, has said he will run for re-election in October. It is a clear indication that he is bent on extending his 36-year rule and retaining his place on the throne of sit-tight African leaders.
Mr. Biya, who came to power in 1982, is seeking a seventh term in office that could see him into his 90s. The fellow who would have welcomed him into that fold, former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, has been shoved aside.
Of Africa’s living rulers, only President Teodoro Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea has ruled uninterrupted for a longer period than Paul Biya. In a tweet to the nation last Tuesday, President Biya wrote, “I am willing to respond positively to your overwhelming calls. I will stand as your candidate in the upcoming presidential election”.
Biya, who has ruled virtually by decree since taking office, scrapped term limits from the constitution in 2008, allowing him to run again and sparking riots in which over 40 people were killed.
The election, scheduled on October 7, comes at a turbulent time for the Central African country and for President Biya. A separatist insurgency in the English-speaking regions led to the death of 84 soldiers in September 2018, while a drop in the prices of its key cocoa and oil exports has weighed heavily on the economy.
