UN Voices Concern over Exclusion of President Biya’s Challenger from Election

The United Nations has urged Cameroon’s government to guarantee free and transparent elections, voicing concern over mounting restrictions ahead of a vote in which President Paul Biya is seeking an eighth term.
At a press briefing in Geneva, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights office, warned of “increasing limits” on opposition activity, pointing to bans on political gatherings, the exclusion of some candidates, and problems with voter registration.
Biya, 92, announced in July that he would run again, ending speculation about whether he might step aside. In power since 1982, he is Cameroon’s second president since independence from France and currently Africa’s second-longest-serving leader, after Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang.
His decades-long rule has been marked by persistent corruption allegations and a separatist crisis in the country’s English-speaking regions, which has displaced thousands of children from schools and fueled deadly clashes with security forces. Biya’s frequent absences abroad and recurring health concerns have also raised questions about his ability to govern, with rumors of his death last year forcing the government to issue denials.
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