Cameroon: UN raises alarm at exclusion of President Biya’s rival from vote

UN officials called for the government of Cameroon to ensure free and transparent elections Tuesday, citing several recent incidents that raised concern about the country’s upcoming election, where President Paul Biya will seek an eighth term in office.

During the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, Jeremy Laurence, the spokesperson for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of “rising restrictions on the activities of opposition political parties in the lead up to the election,” including the ban of certain gatherings, the exclusion of some political figures from the race and irregularities in voter registration.

The 92-year-old president announced in July that he would seek re-election, ending speculation that he might step aside.

Cameroon’s second president since independence from France in 1960, Biya has been in power since 1982.

Biya, Africa’s second-longest-serving president after Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, is frequently sick and abroad.

Last year, talk spread that he had died, prompting the government to publicly deny the rumors.

The more than 40 years of Biya’s rule have left a lasting impact.

His government has faced various challenges, including allegations of corruption and a secessionist movement in Cameroon’s English-speaking provinces that has forced thousands out of school and triggered deadly clashes with security forces.

Cameroon has also had to deal with spillover violence by the Islamic extremist Boko Haram group, based in neighboring Nigeria.

Biya cruised to victory in 2018 with over 70% of the vote in an election marred by irregularities and low turnout due to ongoing separatist and jihadi violence.