💔 From Coup to Cronyism: The Shocking Truth About Paul Biya’s Grip on Cameroon

On April 6th, 1984, Cameroon was rocked by a dramatic and bloody coup attempt against President Paul Biya, who had just taken power two years earlier.

The coup was orchestrated by disgruntled elements of the Republican Guard, mainly composed of soldiers from the northern region loyal to former President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

Early that fateful morning, these mutinous soldiers launched a surprise attack on the presidential palace in Yaoundé, aiming to capture Biya and restore northern dominance in Cameroonian politics.

 

 

The insurgents briefly seized control of national radio, falsely announcing that Biya had been ousted.

However, the president had evaded capture and quickly rallied loyal military forces.

Heavy fighting erupted across the capital, and within 48 hours, the coup was crushed.

The aftermath was brutal: dozens of officers were executed, hundreds arrested, and the Republican Guard disbanded.

This failed coup marked a turning point in Cameroon’s history, solidifying Biya’s grip on power and intensifying regional and ethnic divisions.

Fast forward to July 26, 2025, when the Cameroon election body, ELECAM, released the names of candidates for that year’s presidential election.

At 92 years old, Biya will be vying for his eighth mandate.

To put this into perspective, since Biya took office, the United States has had eight presidents, the UK ten prime ministers, and Nigeria eleven presidents.

Today, Biya stands as the oldest and second-longest-serving president in the world, having held Cameroon in his palms for 42 years.

The big question remains: why has one man held onto power for so long? This is a story of greed, corruption, and manipulation—the story of Paul Biya, the man who has captured Cameroon for over four decades.

Born on February 13, 1933, in Mvomea, a small village in southern Cameroon, Paul Biya hails from the Beti ethnic group, one of the dominant ethnicities in the central and southern parts of the country.

Raised in a strict Catholic household by a catechist father, Biya was instilled with values of education and discipline from a young age.

His early education began at local mission schools, but after being expelled from seminary for misconduct, he focused on academics and eventually earned scholarships to study political science and law in France.

Returning to a newly independent Cameroon in 1960, Biya entered the civil service as part of a new generation of technocrats.

He quickly made a name for himself as a competent and loyal administrator, eventually catching the attention of President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

By 1968, Biya had become Secretary General at the presidency, a powerful position that placed him at the heart of political power.

 

On June 30, 1975, Biya’s political trajectory took a significant leap when Ahidjo appointed him Prime Minister.

This was a strategic move to balance regional and ethnic interests in a country long dominated by northern elites.

Biya’s rise was symbolic; however, it did not translate into a shift in power dynamics.

A crucial moment came in November 1982 when Ahidjo unexpectedly announced his resignation due to health reasons.

Biya, as Prime Minister, was constitutionally next in line and was sworn in as president on November 6, 1982, marking Cameroon’s first peaceful transition of power.

Initially seen as a moderate reformer, Biya promised transparency and renewal in governance.

However, tensions soon emerged between Biya and Ahidjo, who went into exile and publicly accused Biya of abuse of power.

This rift led to the attempted coup of April 6, 1984, which exposed deep cracks within the military and ethnic power dynamics in Cameroon.

The coup plotters aimed to restore northern dominance, but Biya had been tipped off and managed to crush the insurrection within two days.

The aftermath of the coup allowed Biya to consolidate power further.

He purged the military and civil service of perceived northern loyalists and restructured the presidential guard to ensure loyalty.

This marked the beginning of a more centralized authoritarian style of governance that has endured for decades.

Throughout the 1980s, Biya ruled under a one-party system where opposition was suppressed, and elections were largely ceremonial.

His re-elections in 1984 and 1988 came without serious competition.

However, as the political landscape began to shift in the early 1990s due to growing unrest and global pressure for democratization, Biya reluctantly legalized multi-party politics in 1990.

Despite the introduction of multi-party politics, elections in Cameroon have been marred by accusations of fraud, voter intimidation, and manipulation.

Opposition candidates are routinely harassed or jailed, creating a climate of fear where citizens feel their voices no longer matter.

 

One of the central reasons many Cameroonians want Biya out of power is the ongoing Anglophone crisis, which began in 2016.

Initially sparked by peaceful protests from English-speaking lawyers and teachers over marginalization, the situation escalated into an armed conflict after the government responded with violent crackdowns.

Biya’s refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue has worsened the conflict, leading to thousands of deaths and widespread human rights abuses.

Many blame Biya for failing to address the root causes of the crisis and for militarizing a political problem that could have been resolved through negotiation.

Coupled with the ongoing threat from Boko Haram in the far north, Biya’s rule has faced significant challenges.

Biya’s extended tenure is also characterized by rampant corruption and mismanagement.

Cameroon consistently ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world, with public institutions plagued by embezzlement and inefficiency.

While some infrastructure projects have improved certain macroeconomic indicators, widespread corruption has kept the majority of the population in poverty.

Despite his long presidency, Biya is rarely seen publicly and often spends extended periods abroad, particularly in Switzerland.

This perceived detachment has fueled public curiosity about his personal life and governance style.

 

In summary, Paul Biya’s reign since 1982 has been marked by political longevity, strategic control, and national controversy.

While he initially brought stability, his tenure has been overshadowed by corruption, democratic decline, and deepening social divisions.

Many view his rule as one that prioritizes power retention over national progress.

As Cameroon faces mounting security, economic, and political challenges, Biya’s legacy remains controversial—seen by some as a stabilizing figure, yet by many more as an enduring symbol of authoritarian stagnation and missed opportunities.

With the 2025 elections on the horizon, the question remains: how much longer can one man hold onto power while the nation yearns for change?