Paul Biya at 91: A president out of touch with his people

Biya is Africa’s oldest president and the continent’s second longest-serving leader, trailing only Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. He and his supporters resist calls for him to step down for a democratic transition. He celebrates his birthday with a thanksgiving mass in his native village of Meyomessala, in the South Region of the country. His family, friends, and loyal supporters attend the event, praising his achievements and wishing him long life and good health.

However, not everyone in Cameroon is in a festive mood. Many Cameroonians, especially in the northern and anglophone regions, are indifferent or critical of Biya’s birthday celebration, which they see as a display of arrogance and detachment from the realities of the country. They question the relevance of political traditions that glorify the president and his personality, while ignoring the pressing socio-economic challenges that affect the majority of the population.

Cameroon is a low middle-income country at two speeds: poverty and inequality are deteriorating in the northern regions notably the conflict prone North-West, while declining slightly in the rest of the country. The sharp rural versus urban and regional disparities between the northern regions and the rest of the country persist.

According to the World Bank, the overall number of poor in Cameroon increases by 12% to 8.1 million between 2007 and 2014, and poverty is concentrated in the country’s northern regions, where 56% of the poor live. The country also faces multiple security threats, such as the Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North, the secessionist crisis in the Anglophone regions, and the spillover effects of the conflict in the Central African Republic. These conflicts displace more than one million people internally and force over 470,000 refugees to seek shelter in Cameroon.

Despite these challenges, Biya shows little interest or initiative in addressing them. He has been in power since 1982, having succeeded Ahmadou Ahidjo, the first president of Cameroon, who resigned unexpectedly. He consolidates his power by eliminating his rivals, manipulating the constitution, and rigging the elections. He also isolates himself from the public, spending most of his time abroad or in his presidential palace. He rarely visits the regions affected by violence or poverty, and he seldom communicates with the media or the people. He is dubbed as the “absentee president” by his critics and the international press .

Biya’s birthday celebration, therefore, is seen by many as a mockery of the suffering and aspirations of the Cameroonian people, who deserve better leadership and governance. It is also seen as a sign of his unwillingness to step down or pave the way for a democratic transition, despite his advanced age and declining health. Many Cameroonians are calling for a change of regime, a reform of the political system, and a dialogue with the various stakeholders to resolve the conflicts and crises that plague the country.

Biya is more than a president, he is a symbol. A symbol of a political tradition that is out of touch with the people and the times.