YAOUNDE — Widespread condemnation has erupted in Cameroon after the government threatened to arrest civilians who criticize President Paul Biya. These threats intensified following accusations from the political opposition that Biya is postponing elections. Human Rights Watch described the threats as censorship of free speech.
Government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi stated it was unacceptable for people to use irreverent language about the 91-year-old president. Prior to Sadi’s statement, Emmanuel Mariel Djikdent, a senior local government official in Yaoundé, announced plans to expel anyone from the capital who insults Biya or state institutions.
Paul Atanga Nji, the territorial administration minister, expressed surprise at the opposition’s criticism of Biya, whom he credited with establishing democracy in Cameroon. Nji called for government officials to punish those who insult state authority, warning that opposition parties calling for protests would face charges of rebellion, insurrection, and treason.
The opposition remains defiant, with Ndah Grimbald, assistant secretary-general of the Social Democratic Front Party, urging Biya to follow the example of U.S. President Joe Biden and hand over leadership to a younger generation. Grimbald criticized Biya for impeding Cameroonians’ rights to assemble and discuss national affairs.
Supporters of Biya argue he is a democrat who has won every election since the return of multiparty politics in 1990. Although Biya has not confirmed his candidacy for the next presidential election, his supporters are organizing rallies urging him to run. Opposition groups were angered earlier this month when Biya instructed his majority party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), to pass a bill extending the terms of all 180 lawmakers by 12 months, until 2026.
The new law complicates the efforts of main opposition leaders, including Maurice Kamto, to gain the legislative seats needed to challenge Biya in the presidential race. Kamto, who claims he won the 2018 presidential election but lost to Biya through fraud, boycotted the 2020 local council and parliamentary elections.
Cameroon’s laws allow presidential aspirants without legislative seats to secure a place on the ballot by obtaining 300 signatures from influential politicians, former ministers, traditional rulers, and religious leaders. However, the opposition and civil society contend that gathering these signatures is extremely difficult, as many leaders are either afraid of Biya or are his political allies.
Biya is Africa’s second-longest serving leader, following Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, who has been in power since 1979.
