Paul Biya, who has led Cameroon for 43 years, was sworn in on November 6 for an eighth term following a disputed election that triggered widespread protests and a deadly government crackdown.
At 92, Biya — the world’s oldest head of state — secured 53.7% of the votes in the October 12 election, while his main rival, former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, garnered 35.2%, according to official results.
The swearing-in ceremony took place in Parliament, in the capital city of Yaoundé, marking the start of another seven-year term. “I will spare no effort to continue to be worthy of this trust,” Biya said, addressing local dignitaries but no foreign leaders.
“I fully understand the gravity of the situation our country is going through,” he added. “I understand the challenges we face and the frustrations and expectations of our people.”
Tchiroma, once a close ally of Biya turned opposition leader, drew strong support from younger voters yearning for change and continues to reject the official results. “There are now two presidents — the one elected by the Cameroonian people (me) and the one appointed by the Constitutional Council,” he wrote on social media on November 5.
He has repeatedly urged citizens to demonstrate against what he calls a stolen election. Several people reportedly died when security forces dispersed opposition protests shortly before and after Biya’s victory was declared on October 27.
In recent days, Tchiroma has called for “dead city” protests — urging businesses to shut down and public activities to cease. The response has been mixed: widely observed in Garoua and Douala but less so in Yaoundé, where schools and offices remained open.
Authorities have since restricted Tchiroma’s movement and announced plans to prosecute him for “incitement to insurrection.” The government has admitted casualties in the unrest but declined to give an exact number.
“With neither side willing to back down, the risks of worsening unrest are high,” the International Crisis Group warned in a report dated October 29.
Both the European Union and the African Union have denounced the government’s violent suppression of protests, while the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an independent investigation.
Biya remains only the second leader in Cameroon’s history since its independence from France in 1960. His decades-long rule has been marked by political repression, growing inequality, and ongoing separatist conflict in the country’s English-speaking regions.
