Rising Opposition to President Biya In Cameroon

In Summary

• Cameroon's government is facing widespread condemnation for threatening to arrest civilians criticizing President Paul Biya, a move seen as censorship of free speech.
• The opposition remains undeterred, accusing Biya of using intimidation tactics to silence dissent and postpone elections.
• Human Rights Watch has called for the revocation of these threats to uphold freedom of expression in Cameroon.

Yaounde, Cameroon- Condemnation is mounting in Cameroon following government threats to arrest civilians who criticize President Paul Biya. These threats have intensified after the opposition accused Biya of delaying elections. Human Rights Watch described the threats as an attempt to censor free speech in a release on Tuesday.

Despite these threats, Cameroon's opposition remains defiant. Government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi recently stated it is unacceptable to use irreverent language about the 91-year-old president. Prior to this, a local government officer in Yaounde announced plans to expel anyone from the capital who insults Biya or state institutions.

Human Rights Watch has called for the revocation of these threats to ensure freedom of expression. The rights group highlighted the increasing difficulty of speaking freely in Cameroon.

Paul Atanga Nji, the minister of territorial administration, defended Biya, calling him the architect of Cameroon's democracy and urging officials to punish those who insult state authority. He warned that opposition parties calling for protests would be arrested for rebellion and insurrection.

The opposition criticizes Biya's long tenure, accusing him of ruling with an iron fist. Ndah Grimbald of the Social Democratic Front Party urged Biya to follow the example of U.S. President Joe Biden and hand over leadership to a younger generation.

Biya's supporters claim he is a democrat who has won all elections since the return of multiparty politics in 1990. While Biya has not announced if he will run in the next presidential election, his supporters have been rallying for his re-election.

Opposition groups were angered when Biya extended the terms of all 180 lawmakers by 12 months, making it harder for opposition leaders to challenge him in the next election. Maurice Kamto, an opposition leader, claims he won the 2018 presidential election but lost to Biya through fraud. He boycotted the 2020 local council and parliamentary elections.

Cameroon's laws require presidential aspirants without legislative seats to gather 300 signatures from influential politicians to secure a spot on the ballot. The opposition argues this is difficult due to Biya's influence over these leaders.

Biya is Africa's second-longest serving leader, after Equatorial Guinea's president Teodoro Obiang Nguema.