The world’s oldest president, Cameroon’s Biya, is declared the winner of the latest election
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Cameroon’s top court on Monday declared incumbent Paul Biya — the world’s oldest president — the winner of the Oct. 12 election, after at least four protesters were killed in clashes with security forces ahead of the announcement.
Biya, 92, has ruled the central African nation since 1982. The Constitutional Council said he received 53.66% of votes, while former ally-turned-challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary won 35.19%.
The deaths occurred Sunday in Douala, the economic capital, where hundreds of people took to the streets demanding credible results. Tchiroma had claimed early victory, citing figures he said were compiled by his party. Biya’s ruling party dismissed his claims.
Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, governor of the Littoral Region that includes Douala, said several security officers were injured during the confrontations. He confirmed that at least 105 protesters were arrested.
Videos shared online showed security forces firing tear gas as protesters barricaded roads in Douala and in northern cities including Garoua and Maroua. Dozens of opposition supporters and activists were rounded up in the days before and after the vote. Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji said authorities detained “several people plotting violent attacks.”
Tensions had been mounting for months in the country of nearly 30 million people. Biya’s decision to seek another term angered many youth and opposition supporters, who accuse him of using state institutions to sideline challengers and manipulate the electoral process.
One protester, Oumarou Bouba, a 27-year-old trader in Maroua, said he demonstrated because he believes the election was stolen.
“I am ready to stake my life to defend my vote. I voted for Tchiroma because I want change.”
More than 70% of Cameroonians are under 35, and many have only known one leader their entire lives. Biya first took office after the resignation of Cameroon’s founding president and later benefited from a constitutional amendment that removed term limits.
His long absences in Europe have fueled speculation about his health, while critics say his prolonged rule has pushed Cameroon from relative stability into multiple conflicts. The country continues to battle Boko Haram militants in the north and a brutal separatist crisis in the English-speaking regions that has killed nearly 7,000 people and displaced more than one million.
Despite being an oil-producing nation, economic frustration remains high. World Bank data shows unemployment at 3.5%, but nearly 57% of workers aged 18 to 35 are employed informally, leaving many struggling in low-paying jobs.
