Paul Biya, Cameroon’s 92-year-old president and the world’s oldest head of state, was sworn in on Thursday for an eighth term in office following a disputed election that sparked widespread protests and deadly clashes.
Gatekeepers News reports that Biya, who has ruled the Central African nation for 43 years, officially secured victory in the October 12 poll with 53.7 percent of the vote, according to the electoral commission. His closest rival, former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, garnered 35.2 percent.
At a ceremony held in parliament in Yaoundé, Biya took the oath of office for another seven-year term, pledging to meet the country’s mounting challenges.
“I will spare no effort to continue to be worthy of this trust,” Biya said in his address. “I fully understand the gravity of the situation our country is going through. I understand the number and severity of the challenges we face and the depth of frustrations and the scale of expectations.”
No foreign leaders were present at the swearing-in ceremony, which was attended mainly by local political figures.
Tchiroma, a former ally turned opposition leader, has rejected the official results, claiming victory and alleging widespread fraud. “There are now two presidents — the president elected by the Cameroonian people (me) and the president appointed by the Constitutional Council (whom you know),” he wrote on social media Wednesday.
The opposition candidate has repeatedly called for protests against the election outcome, accusing authorities of manipulating the vote. Security forces have since clamped down on demonstrations, with several deaths reported during rallies held before and after Biya’s victory was declared on October 27.
Tchiroma has urged his supporters to stage “dead city” protests — shutting down businesses and public life. The response has been uneven: while the calls were largely heeded in cities such as Garoua and Douala, the capital Yaoundé saw little disruption, with schools and offices operating normally.
Though initially placed under de facto house arrest in Garoua after the election results, Tchiroma’s team told AFP on Tuesday that he was now “on the move.”
The Cameroonian government has vowed to take legal action against him for “repeated calls for insurrection,” while acknowledging casualties in the unrest without disclosing figures.
“With neither side willing to back down, the risks of worsening unrest are high,” the International Crisis Group warned in a report published on October 29.
The European Union and African Union have both condemned the violent crackdown on protesters, while the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an independent investigation.
Biya, who has ruled since 1982, is only the second person to lead Cameroon since independence from France in 1960. His long tenure has been marked by tight control over dissent, economic inequality, and ongoing separatist conflict in the country’s English-speaking regions.
