A year has passed since Paul Biya’s mandate was extended in Cameroon, and the first assessment of this extended presidency is fueling heated debates both domestically and among international partners. The 89-year-old leader, who has held power since 1982, framed his new term around dialogue, economic revival, and state modernization. Yet, analysts now highlight a widening gap between rhetoric and tangible action, leaving the ruling RDPC party scrambling to justify the glacial pace of progress.
The political landscape fraught with unresolved tensions
Elections remain Cameroon’s most polarizing issue. Hopes for revising the electoral code—first promised after the 2018 presidential vote—have yielded little progress. Opposition figures including Maurice Kamto and Cabral Libii continue demanding reforms to Elections Cameroon (Elecam), the body overseeing polls since 2006. Despite persistent calls, no official timeline for reform has been unveiled. Meanwhile, the Anglophone crisis, sparked by 2016 protests in the Northwest and Southwest regions, lingers as another unresolved sore point. The 2019 Grand National Dialogue granted these regions special status, yet implementation has stalled. Ongoing clashes between security forces and separatist militias continue crippling local economies, particularly the cocoa sector—a critical national export where Anglophone zones play a pivotal role. UN humanitarian agencies estimate hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons remain trapped in this crisis, with no significant reduction in sight.
Broken promises and stalled reforms
Institutional inertia is most evident in security policy. The Lake Chad Basin remains plagued by Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa affiliate attacks, despite the 2015 Multinational Joint Task Force involving Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs consistently ranks the Far North region among the Sahel’s most vulnerable zones. While government spending on defense remains robust, no new security doctrine has emerged since Biya’s mandate extension, leaving analysts questioning the country’s long-term stability strategy.
Economic stagnation and the debt dilemma
Macroeconomic performance reflects Cameroon’s governance challenges. Growth hovers between 3.5% and 4% annually—a pace insufficient to absorb the country’s youth bulge into formal employment. Public debt stands near 45% of GDP, limiting fiscal maneuverability for infrastructure investments. The government’s ongoing IMF Extended Credit Facility program demands budgetary discipline and debt transparency, yet progress reports remain opaque. Investors in key sectors like hydrocarbons, Kribi port operations, and telecommunications watch these developments with growing skepticism. France, China, and multilateral lenders are particularly attuned to signals from Yaoundé’s Etoudi Palace as they reassess Cameroon’s business environment.
Transition fears overshadowing Cameroon’s investment climate
The succession question looms larger than ever. At over 90 years old, Biya is Africa’s longest-serving leader. The 2008 constitutional revision removed presidential term limits, leaving Cameroon’s political future undefined. Silence from ruling-party circles fuels speculation about key figures like Secretary-General of the Presidency and Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute. The August 2023 Gabonese scenario—where a political transition unfolded through military channels—has intensified concerns among Cameroon’s partners. Yet, despite mounting pressure, no official announcements have reshaped the post-Biya framework. As the second anniversary of this extended mandate approaches, the credibility of Cameroon’s leadership faces its sternest test yet.