92-year-old President Paul Biya has praised Cameroonian civil society, lauding its “remarkable energy” and calling it “indispensable for promising democratic governance.” But the irony of his statement was not lost on observers; it came against the backdrop of escalating repression against the very organisations he now claims to support.
“The civil society in Cameroon exhibits remarkable energy, as it effectively enhances citizenship education and promotes diverse causes…,” Biya wrote.
“I firmly believe that a robust civil society is indispensable for promising democratic governance.”
These carefully crafted words mark a rare moment of personal recognition from Biya, who seldom engages directly with domestic matters, let alone praises actors often critical of his decades-long regime. Yet, this moment of praise stands as a clear contradiction to the reality civil society organisations face in Cameroon today. They are facing harassment, legal intimidation, and arbitrary shutdowns.
Repression in Plain Sight
Just weeks before Biya’s post, Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji suspended five non-governmental organisations, accusing them of money laundering and engaging in unauthorised political activity. The Human Rights and Development Association (RHEDAC), a respected local watchdog, is currently being dragged through court on contested charges.
Rather than engaging with these organisations, Biya’s government continues to isolate and criminalise them. Critics argue that his latest statement is part of a performative attempt to appear engaged and democratic as elections draw closer.
Ignoring the Warnings
Civil society groups have repeatedly raised alarms over corruption, systemic embezzlement, extrajudicial killings, and brutal repression in the Anglophone regions. Their reports are often met with silence and in worse cases, retaliation. Despite Biya’s recent praise, his regime has a well-documented record of sidelining dissent and branding independent voices as threats to national unity.
The irony is glaring to all Cameroonians. While Biya celebrates civil society in public, his government actively undermines it in practice. This growing gap between rhetoric and action reflects a broader trend of disconnect in a presidency increasingly considered out of touch.
A Vanishing President
Biya’s online activity comes amid increasing public concern over his prolonged physical absence. He has not appeared in public for weeks and opted to send a representative instead of attending Pope Francis’ funeral. This absence, especially during moments of national mourning and crisis, feeds into longstanding speculation about his health and ability to govern.
Yet, in spite of this absence, Biya continues to post online statements, shaping narratives from afar while remaining inaccessible and unaccountable to the public.
A Familiar Pattern Ahead of Elections
Cameroon will head to the polls in the coming months, and Biya’s renewed online visibility seems strategically timed to reassert his image. Many citizens are asking, Where was he when civilians die daily in the Anglophone regions? Why is Boko Haram still able to ambush and kill Cameroonian soldiers in the Far North with near impunity?
His social media campaign cannot mask the structural decay, nor can it distract from a deepening legitimacy crisis. If Biya plans to run again, people will judge his words on civil society not by their elegance but by how willing his administration is to protect and engage with dissenting voices.
Words Without Weight
President Biya’s praise of civil society reads less like a sincere endorsement and more like a political calculation. In a country where civic voices face silencing, opposition encounters stifling, and public accountability remains nearly absent, his words lack substance. Until civil society can operate without fear of state retaliation, Biya’s endorsement will remain nothing more than hollow praise from a distant throne.
