Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, aged 92, has been sworn in for an eighth consecutive term, extending his more than four-decade rule and cementing his position as the world’s oldest sitting head of state.
The inauguration ceremony took place at the National Assembly in Yaoundé on Friday, where Biya took the oath of office before lawmakers, judges, and foreign dignitaries. In his speech, he pledged to maintain stability and pursue economic reforms to attract investment and strengthen the country’s infrastructure.
“I remain committed to ensuring peace and unity across our great nation,” Biya said during the ceremony broadcast on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV). “Our path to development continues, and we must work together to secure the prosperity of future generations.”
Biya, who first came to power in 1982, secured another term after winning the recent presidential election with more than 70% of the vote, as reported by Reuters. Opposition leaders, including former minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, alleged irregularities in the poll, but the Constitutional Council dismissed the petitions, affirming the results.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Biya’s government faces growing public pressure to address youth unemployment, inflation, and long-running separatist unrest in the English-speaking regions. Despite these challenges, supporters credit him with maintaining relative stability in a volatile Central African region.
Biya’s continued presidency, now entering its 43rd year, underscores both his political resilience and the enduring dominance of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), which has governed since the country’s return to multi-party politics in the 1990s.
