Which Cameroon after Paul Biya?

Can we imagine Cameroon without Paul Biya? For the moment we should not think about it. Not even in a dream, and then have the courage to speak about it publicly in the country. And yet, it is a headlong escape.

Absent from two major international meetings for which he was announced, the controversy grew over the state of health of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, to the point of breaking the government from its silence. The last time he appeared in public was at the China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC) summit held from September 4 to 6, 2024. He did not attend the last UN General Assembly in New York, nor at the last Francophonie summit, in Paris.

A note dated October 9, 2024 stamped in red “Very Urgent” was even taken to prohibit any comment in the country’s media on the state of health of the “patriarch”. On the grounds that the Head of State is the first institution of the Republic and debates on his state fall within the domain of national security.

Comparison is not reason, they say. But one might wonder if in the United States or the cognitive abilities of the current president, Joe Biden, have been debated to the point that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, do not fall within the area of ​​national security?

Or even those of the former president and presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who are often the subject of various comments.

Again?

At 91 years old, Paul Biya is the oldest elected leader in office. He has ruled Cameroon for almost forty-two years. Rumors about his health date back several years but the latest ones hold public opinion. He who only appears for rare televised, pre-recorded speeches, or alongside his influential wife Chantal on rare occasions.

A situation reminiscent of the late Robert Mugabé of Zimbabwe; the world’s oldest president, who died at age 95 in September 2019.

Overthrown in November 2017 at age 93 by members of his party, his health visibly deteriorated. Forced to resign, after having dominated Zimbabwean politics for 37 years, even though he had officially stood for his own re-election the following year.

What about the political legacy?

Paul Biya is for Cameroon, a bit like Félix Houphouët-Boigny was for Ivory Coast. French politician then Ivorian statesman, president of the Republic of Ivory Coast from August 7, 1960 to his death on December 7, 1993 in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, about whom we talk at length, and too long reign.

Following the death of Houphouët-Boigny, the various crises that Côte d’Ivoire experienced were seen as a logical continuation, of not capitalizing on the achievements of his long reign, for lasting peace.

As for Paul Biya, he is the second president of Cameroon since November 6, 1982; two days after the surprise resignation of Ahmadou Ahidjo, president of the Republic of Cameroon, from 1960 to 1982, of which he was prime minister from 1975 to 1982.

His party, the Democratic Rally of the Cameroonian People (RDPC) has remained in power since its creation in 1985 and controls all links of state power.

Accused for more than 10 years of ruling from an ivory tower in his native village of Mvomeka’a, in the south of the country, when not from Geneva; so, when we imagine a Cameroon without Paul Biya, we have our own idea. This, while the country remains faced with significant security and socio-economic challenges. Especially since it has recently seen the rise of a wave of separatist sentiments.

A desire of these instigators to secede between French-speaking Cameroon and English-speaking Cameroon. With the result of numerous armed incidents, as well as electoral ones.

But whose fault is it?

Biya has been the epicenter of Cameroon for the past four decades, but at some point we should know how to honor him during his lifetime. This requires an honorable exit which will mark posterity, far from being rejected. Even more so, every human has a life.

An error in assessing these parameters can be regrettable given everything that has been done so far by the “father”, and considered his legacy, on all levels.

Biya deserves better than these images and this obligation to force his exit or to keep him in power no matter what. It is a failure of the children to have been unable to properly take over from their father during his lifetime. What is happening in Cameroon is not far from it. This is to the point of being worrying.

After serving Cameroon as he did, Biya deserves honorable retirements. And not to be whistled like a common player who enters the selection and who does not convince.

The international retirement of football glories means that we erect a guard of honor for all these emotions transmitted during their career, which we would have liked to have no end. Because we would never tire of seeing them play ad vitam aeternam.

But there is what is specific to humans, certain realities of which are inescapable. “Vanity of vanities. All is vanity,” writes Ecclesiastes. The Ivorians say: “Leave everything!” “.