Cameroonian Thinkers Condemn Global Silence on Biya’s Fraud

The Call from the Collective

In the column, the authors argue that Paul Biya, who has ruled for forty-three years, “was defeated by challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary” but used fraud and institutional control to cling to power.
They describe a “regime in moral decay” that manipulates results through a pliant Constitutional Council, which proclaimed Biya winner with 53.66 percent after “two weeks of backstage tampering.”

A Deafening Silence

The op-ed laments the lack of strong reactions from France, the United States, the EU, and the African Union, calling it a betrayal of democratic values.

“This silence is not neutral,” the authors write. “It extends the post-colonial dependency where African autocrats rely on the complacency of their former tutors.”

They accuse Western partners of “timid statements that normalize electoral theft,” noting that no major power has congratulated Biya.

Tchiroma’s Position

From exile, Issa Tchiroma Bakary continues to claim victory and calls for peaceful protest through the expanding “ghost-town” movement.
The collective praises these actions as “moral resistance against the logic of fear and fatigue.”

Appeal to Global Conscience

The authors urge the African Union to suspend Cameroon under Article 30 until credible elections are held and call for targeted sanctions against officials in ELECAM and the Constitutional Council implicated in fraud.

“The indifference of the world is the oxygen of tyranny. Cameroon cannot breathe,” they conclude.

Context

The publication follows revelations that Yaoundé’s presidency forged diplomatic letters of congratulation from foreign governments to legitimize Biya’s alleged victory.
Together, the forgery scandal and the Libération outcry expose a regime increasingly isolated abroad and discredited at home.