{"id":1340,"date":"2025-11-06T15:52:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T15:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=1340"},"modified":"2025-11-06T15:52:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T15:52:52","slug":"cameroons-biya-worlds-oldest-ruler-at-92-sworn-in-for-eighth-term-conflict-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=1340","title":{"rendered":"Cameroon\u2019s Biya, world\u2019s oldest ruler at 92, sworn in for eighth term | Conflict News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>Deadly protests followed the 92-year-old president\u2019s re-election, which opponents have called \u2018fraudulent\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 6 Nov 2025<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">6 Nov 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Cameroon\u2019s longtime leader, Paul Biya, has been sworn in for a new seven-year term following his victory in last month\u2019s presidential election, which his opposition rival has described as \u201ca constitutional coup\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing Parliament on Thursday, the world\u2019s oldest president promised to stay faithful to the confidence of the Cameroonian people and pledged to work for a \u201cunited, stable and prosperous\u201d country.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>There were deadly protests in several parts of Cameroon days after the October 19 vote, followed by a three-day lockdown this week after former minister and key contender Issa Tchiroma claimed victory and alleged vote tampering.<\/p>\n<p>The government has confirmed that at least five people were killed during the protests, although the opposition and civil society groups claim the figures are much higher.<\/p>\n<p>The incumbent, Africa\u2019s second-longest serving leader, took the oath of office during a session of Parliament in what residents describe as the heavily militarised and partially deserted capital, Yaounde.<\/p>\n<p>Priscilla Ayimboh, a 40-year-old seamstress in Yaounde, does not see a new term for Biya as likely to change anything.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m tired of Biya\u2019s rule and I no longer care whatever he does. It\u2019s a pity. I wonder what will become of Cameroon in the next seven years: there are no roads, water, and jobs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Munjah Vitalis Fagha, a senior politics lecturer at Cameroon\u2019s University of Buea, told The Associated Press news agency that Biya\u2019s inauguration was \u201ctaking place in a tense yet controlled political atmosphere, marked by deep divisions between the ruling elite and a growingly disillusioned populace\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Fagha added: \u201cThe ceremony occurs amid calls for political renewal, ongoing security challenges in the Anglophone regions, and widespread concerns over governance and succession.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4020914\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4020914\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4020914\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cameroon5-1760010350.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"President Paul Biya's campaign poster\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4020914\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Paul Biya\u2019s campaign posters are visible in Anglophone [File: Beng Emmanuel Kum\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cameroon\u2019s top court on October 27 declared Biya the winner of the election, with 53.66 percent of the vote, ahead of his ally-turned-challenger, Tchiroma, who secured 35.19 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Tchiroma insists Biya was awarded a \u201cfraudulent\u201d victory in the election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe will of the Cameroonian people was trampled that day, our sovereignty stolen in broad daylight,\u201d Tchiroma wrote on Wednesday night. \u201cThis is not democracy, it is electoral theft, a constitutional coup as blatant as it is shameful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biya came to power in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon\u2019s first president and has ruled since, following a 2008 constitutional amendment that abolished term limits. His health has been a topic of speculation as he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving governance to key party officials and family members.<\/p>\n<p>He has led Cameroon longer than most of its citizens have been alive \u2013 more than 70 percent of the country\u2019s almost 30 million population is below the age of 35. If he serves his entire term, Biya will leave office nearly 100 years old.<\/p>\n<p>The results of his nearly half-century in power have been mixed; armed rebellions in the north and the west of the country, along with a stagnant economy, have left many young people disillusioned with the leader.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deadly protests followed the 92-year-old president\u2019s re-election, which opponents have called \u2018fraudulent\u2019. Published On 6 Nov 20256 Nov 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Cameroon\u2019s longtime leader, Paul Biya, has been sworn in for a new seven-year term following his victory in last month\u2019s presidential election, which his opposition rival has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}